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energy involved with bullets
- Thread starter AL45
- Start date
g.willikers
New member
And is it measured in footpounds, kilojoules, btus, watts, or horsepower?
Jim Watson
New member
Agree with griz. The chemical energy of the gunpowder has been converted to heat and pressure which imparts kinetic energy to the bullet.
The bullet also has gravitational potential energy but not much relative to the kinetic energy.
g., us 'Murricans read kinetic energy out in foot pounds, the Outside World uses joules. A common pistol bullet runs 300-500 joules so even a big rifle wouldn't develop many kilojoules. You could convert to btu if you liked. Watts and horsepower are units of power, not energy.
The bullet also has gravitational potential energy but not much relative to the kinetic energy.
g., us 'Murricans read kinetic energy out in foot pounds, the Outside World uses joules. A common pistol bullet runs 300-500 joules so even a big rifle wouldn't develop many kilojoules. You could convert to btu if you liked. Watts and horsepower are units of power, not energy.
Once the bullet leaves the gun, It's all* kinetic energy.energy involved in a bullet leaving a gun. (No he wasn't expelled).
She thinks it is Potential energy, chemical energy and kinetic energy
* Now a standard 30-06 bullet fired from 4-ft shoulder height also has some
(4 * 150g/7000) = 0.09 ft-lbs of potential "drop" energy, but that doesn't hold
a candle to it's 3,000 ft-lbs of kinetic energy from sheer speed.
The bullet's energy is typically measured in foot poundsAnd is it measured in footpounds, kilojoules, btus, watts, or horsepower?
OldMarksman
Staff
Regardless of whether the bullet left the gun because of the force of a spring, the expansion of compressed gas, the expansion of gases caused by the burning or explosion of a chemical propellant, the primary energy component is kinetic. It may also have been heated, and of course there is a potential energy component, but those are minor considerations.
Jim's points on units of energy and power are on target. When I was in school, we spoke in terms of kilogram meters per second squared; that is the same as joules. Note that both meters and seconds are squared.
Jim's points on units of energy and power are on target. When I was in school, we spoke in terms of kilogram meters per second squared; that is the same as joules. Note that both meters and seconds are squared.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
In the United States, See post #4.Snyper said:The bullet's energy is typically measured in foot pounds