ballistic pendulum experiment?

Question

what are example of the use of a ballistic pendulum in a forensic investigation?
what are the best website to get information on ballistic pendulum?
what error might occur during a ballistic pendulum experiment?
what are the physical theory of a ballistic pendulum?

Answer 1

In forensics: To establish the velocity of a bullet (and thus predict its destructive effects) the ballistic pendulum measures the bullet's momentum. With the bullet's mass known, its velocity can be derived.
A good website: see the ref. where the physical theory is explained.
Errors: Beside the obvious errors of inaccuracy of measurement or mass of the pendulum, an overestimation error can occur if one assumes a totally inelastic collision but the projectile actually bounces off the pendulum rather than being retained by it. Similarly an underestimation error can occur if the projectile passes through the pendulum since not all of its momentum is captured.