Ballistic Cart Incline

This demonstration builds upon the idea of projectile motion by adding an incline.  A ball is launched from cart traveling down an incline. The ball still lands in the cart.

* Equipment seen in the video may vary from equipment used in ND Demonstrations.  See information and images below for ND equipment and setup.

Setup:

Place the cart track on the lab table and elevate one end using the lab jack. Attach the launcher part way down the track. Place the cart on the track with the ball in the cradle and the correct side facing the launcher. Make sure the launcher is aligned with the cart.Push the ball down in the launcher to load the spring.The cart may be released down the track or pushed up it. As the cart passes the launcher, it will launch the ball into the air and catch it.

Notes:

It is recommended to do this demo in addition to the original ballistic cart demo as it provides more context.

Courses Used In:

• PHYS 10111

• PHYS 10310

• PHYS 10410

• PHYS 30210

Discussion and Polling Questions:

• (before demo) Will the cart catch the projectile? If not, will the projectile fall ahead of or behind the cart?

• How is this situation different from the horizontal ballistic cart?

• What does the motion look like in the cart's reference frame? What is the direction of gravity?

• Why does this still work even though we're no longer in an inertial reference frame?

Equipment Needed:

• Cart Track

• Ballistic Cart with Launcher

• Ball

• Lab Jack