This is a simulation of a ballistic pendulum. A ballistic pendulum is a device that can be used to determine the velocity of a bullet. A bullet of known mass is shot into a wood block of known mass. After the collision, the bullet is embedded in the wood block and the wood block swings upward.
Students can measure the maximum height reached and use this and the known masses of the bullet and the wood block to calculate the initial velocity the bullet had just before it hit the block. They can then type their answer into an input box, and see whether they are correct or incorrect. They can then adjust the initial values and try again and again.
