How does a bullet proof Vest stop Bullets going Through it?

Question

Like seriously how does it stop it?

Answer 1

super tight woven fabrics, like kevlar, mixed with ceramics. The many many layers of kevlar slow the round down and disperse the energy over a wider area, the entire chest, rather than one specific spot where the impact occured. It still hurts like hell and will most likley break some ribs, but thats better than being dead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_armor#Modern_personal_armour

http://science.howstuffworks.com/body-armor1.htm

Answer 2

depends on the type of vest and the material.
During WW1 sentries would wear vests which were really heavy steel body armour. To give you an idea, it takes about 13 mm (1/4 inch) of armour plate steel to stop a rifle bullet- about 50 kilos for just the protection of the front of the chest.

Kevlar works by not breaking. It is a very strong fiber and the piercing power of the blunt bullet is spread over a wide area. (knife blades can cut Kevlar, so it does not work against blades)
There is a heck of a bruise, and some fibers snap- but given enough layers of kevlar there is no penetration. The smaller the diameter of the bullet and the faster it's speed- the harder it is to stop. so a vest which will stop a .45 (11,5 mm) pistol bullet may not stop a .32 (7.63 mm) mauser round. Stopping rifle bullets by Kevlar alone is possible, but the thickness of the vest becomes too big.
Also bear in mind that a rifle bullet has enormous power- some 4500 kiloJoules for a 30.06 rifle round. Even if the vest remains not pierced, all the body organs may be smashed by the impact.
hence the use of pieces of armour plate or ceramic armor. Steel is heavier but stronger. Ceramics only work for a few hits (but no one plans to sit still while being shot at) to save weight only the most vital areas are protected in this way

Actually the original aim of the vests is NOT to stop bullets- but fragments of shells and grenades. Because these make (data from statistical analysis) over 80% of the casualties.

How good are they? against bombs/ shells/ grenades - very good. against an indiscriminate hail of bullets- pretty good. Against a trained sniper with a good rifle- just about useless.

However, snipers are few, trained snipers are extremely few, and any half-brained dummy can explode a bomb. So to sum everything up- they work fairly well. Statistics again.

Answer 3

A vest does not protect the wearer by deflecting bullets. Instead, the layers of material catch the bullet and spread its force over a larger portion of the body, absorbing energy more quickly and hopefully bringing it to a stop before it can penetrate into the body. This tends to deform the bullet, further reducing its ability to penetrate. While a vest can prevent bullet wounds, the wearer still absorbs the bullet's energy, which can cause blunt force trauma. The majority of users experience only bruising, but impacts can still cause severe internal injuries.

Most vests offer little protection against arrows, ice picks, stabbing knife blows, bullets with their points sharpened or armor-piercing rounds. As the force is concentrated in a relatively small area with bladed weapons and armor-piercing rounds, they can push through the weave of most bullet-resistant fabrics. Specially-designed vests which protect against bladed weapons and sharp objects are often used in vests for prison guards and other law enforcement officers. Some materials like Dyneema offer considerable protection against bladed weapons and slash attacks.

Answer 4

It has to do with the way the fibers are aligned and compacted (Kevlar). When the bullet hits the vest, the energy is disbursed throughout the vest. Some energy cannot be stopped, so the wearer will have a bad bruise. High powered weapons will tear through a vest.

Answer 5

They are made of materials that effectively distribute the energy of the projectile over a larger surface area instead of one tiny point. This reduces the pressure exerted on any one part of the body, and prevents the bullet from penetrating. This is why you'll still get a nasty bruise and maybe broken ribs, but not a bullet hole - because the energy of the bullet was spread out but still had quite a bit of force to it. It doesn't take a lot of force to make a nail penetrate the skin, but an equal amount of force applied to a larger disc of metal won't have anywhere near the same effect.

Answer 6

They stop a bullet by transferring the energy of the projectile to a wider area. Ceramic plates are designed to crack, and Kevlar fibers create resistance.

Answer 7

Most are made of Kevlar which is a lightweight material that is stronger than steel.... So, the bullet hits it and does not penetrate beyond the Kevlar.

Answer 8

One word Kevlar bullet won't penetrate Kevlar but doesn't mean it wont still knock the wind outta ya!~

Answer 9

well if u ever held one its prety heavy and its coats of metal that slow and stop the bullets ......a better explanation is if u shoot something hard the bullet will get stuck

Answer 10

vest consist of a web of very strong fibers, designed to deflect the actual pellets, and to spread the kinetic energy out.