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Top Shot Dakota McFall 10 th Grade New Castle Jr./Sr. High School. Observation
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Top Shot Dakota McFall 10thGrade New Castle Jr./Sr. High School
Observation One day when I was shooting a styrofoamtarget with a friend, I noticed that his BBs were penetrating the target more than mine. His were even going all the way through, but mine were either bouncing off of the target or just barely getting lodged in it. We were both using the same gun, but the BBs that he was using were more massivethanmine. This made me wonder if the mass of BBs affects their penetration depth.
Question Does the mass of BBs affect their force of impact?
Research • Less massive BBs are used with cheaper air soft guns which shoot at a lower velocity, and more massive BBs are used with more powerful guns that shoot at a higher velocity. • Air soft guns that shoot with a higher velocity should use more massive BBs because the tighter spring will be able to propel the heavier BBs farther and faster than if a gun that shoots with a lower velocity uses them. • More massive BBs are better for long-range shooting, while less massive BBs are for short-range shooting. • Air soft BBs are almost always 6mm in diameter. • Air soft BBs start at 0.12 grams and go as massive as 0.36 grams. • Most less massive BBs are made of a plastic called Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). This is a very durable plastic that holds it's shape when molded by heat, is chemical resistant, and is not affected by temperature. • More massive BBs also have small amounts of aluminum in them along with the same materials as the less massive BBs to make them heavier which is better for long-range shooting.
Hypothesis If the BBs have more mass, then they will penetrate the target deeper.
Independent/Dependent Variables • Dependent • The depth of each penetration. • Independent • The mass of the BBs.
Materials • Metric measuring tape. • A metric ruler. • Model M16-A1 air soft gun that shoots with a velocity of 112.776 mps(meters per second) • Three different types of BBs that are the all the same brand but weigh 0.25 grams, 0.20 grams, and 0.12 grams each. • A hanger. • A styrofoam target to shoot at. • A stand that will hold the gun in the same place for every shot. • A pencil and paper.
Procedure Step 1: Get a model M16-A1 air soft gun that shoots with a velocity of 112.776 MPS and three different types of BBs that have a mass of 0.25g, 0.20g, and 0.12g each. Step 2: Make a stand that will hold the gun in the same position throughout every trial. Step 3: Bend the hanger until it is completely straight. Lay the ruler next to the hanger and mark the hanger with every mark that is on the ruler. Step 4: Set up the target 6 meters away from the stand. Step 5: Shoot each different BB at the target 150 times each. Measuring the depth of each shot by sticking the tip of the hanger into the hole from the BB and seeing how far it went in. Step 6: Record your results.
Data 0.41cm 0.58cm 1.14cm
Conclusion After doing my experiment, my hypothesis was supported by my results. The 0.25g BBs, which were the most massive of the three types of BBs, penetrated the target the deepest. The 0.12g BBs penetrated the target the least. I believe this is because more massive BBs are made for long-range shooting and lighter BBs are for short range shooting. The more massive BBs also penetrated the deepest because their mass made it so they are less likely to be affected by gravity and wind, making them fly faster.
Possible Source of Error • Some possible errors that may take place during my experiment are: • The wind may affect the force at which the BBs fly toward the target. • The gun I am using may be too powerful for the 0.12g BBs and they may not fly very accurately.
Future Research If I were to do this experiment again, I would test more different types of BBs, or I would test to see it the composition of the BBs affects their penetration depth.
References • http://www.airsplat.com/Categories/B1-B4.htm • http://oifveteran.hubpages.com/hub/Airsoft-BBs---More-than-just-pretty-colors • http://www.airsoft2day.com/news/26-the-basic-physics-of-airsoft.html • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass • http://www.airtacdepot.com/content/Airsoft_Guns-_How_FPS-_Joules_and_BB_Weight_Effect_Accuracy.htm