What happens inside a bullet when it is fired?

Question

I am looking to find out what happens mechanically and chemically when a round (a bullet) is fired from a gun. I would like to draw a diagram, frame by frame, of how it works and be able to explain the chemical reactions for my physical science class. any websites that might have diagrams for me to look at or any answers would be so helpful.

Answer 1

chemically, nothing happens to the bullet itself. the gunpowder exploding is however a chemical reaction.

Mechanically, a pressure builds up behind the bullet and starts pushing it down the barrell. Some bores are smooth (shotguns) and the bullet goes straight down the barrell. Some barrels have ridges cut on the inside in a spiral pattern that grip the bullet and put a spin on it. This increases distance and reduces the effects of wind. The bullet continues to accelerate down the barrell to the muzzle. At the muzzle, the bullet has its maximum velocity as the pressure that has built up during hte gunpowder explosion is no longer confined by the barrell and the bullet, it gets released to the atmosphere. The bullet will then travel on a trajectory that depends on its weight, initial angle of travel relative to the horizon, and muzzle velocity. There is a whole science dedicated to this field of study called ballistics. In general terms, the bullet will start sinking as it leaves the gun but its forward motion is much greater than its downward motion so the first couple hundred yards of a high powered hunting rifle is hardly noticable and just a couple inches. However, as the bullet travels further, the atmosphere slows it down in the horizontal direction but gravity speeds it up in the verticle direction and it starts to sink faster and faster until it hits a target or the ground.

Answer 2

The primer inside the bottom of the bullet explodes and burns the gunpowerder in the shell. Gunpowerder burns extremely fast and builds pressure between the shell casing and the actual bullet that leaves the gun barrel. It is critical the caliber of the bullet matches the barrel so there is no pressure loss around the bullet, like older muskets would suffer, for maximum power.

Answer 3

okay inside the bullet is gun powder and if you reload your own there is a wad to hold the powder in place for better fireing.

so you have your casing or brass then there is the primer your powder and the lead or bullet

the firing pin hits the primer creating a spark igniting the powder that burns and it cuases preassure and expels the lead

Answer 4

just a moving metal projectile ,that is hot nothing changes inside ,when it hits it colapses from the impact the colapse depending on the consistence of what it hits ,if it is flesh ,it will be less than if it is a concrete wall.