I need a ballistics device that will shoot a whiffle golf ball 5 feet, 10 feet, and 15 feet. I'm looking for something that will blow everybody away in my class. Hopefully something cheap but amazing. Here is the actual project for it though.

Activity 8.1a - The BD Project



Purpose

Things move in predictable patterns. A ball thrown in the air moves in a curved path until it strikes the earth. We can analyze where it will strike the ground if we make some basic assumptions about free-fall acceleration and we discount the effects of wind resistance.



Materials

Scrap and recycled materials

Ping pong balls

Tape Measure

Excel®



Procedure

Objective: To create a device that will toss a ball accurately within a given range.



BD Constraints:

· Must be able to fire a projectile (to be specified by the instructor) anywhere within 5’ to 15’ operating range (design adjustability into your device!)

· Must fit within a 1’x1’ footprint (in “collapsed form”)

· Cannot utilize high-pressure gases or combustible materials

· Must be constructed primarily out of materials that are found, not bought.

· Must be sketched in engineering journals and approved by your instructor prior to building.



Testing:

· Performance Testing (after completion of final assembly and adjustment)

o Choose at least ten firing angles between 10 and 80 degrees.

o For each firing angle, fire the projectile and record range

o Perform at least three trials for each firing angle

o Record all procedures, tables, data etc. within engineering journals.

· Final Testing

o Must be able to land in a 5-gallon bucket (the target) at a location specified by your instructor on the day of the test (and within the operating range)

o Each team will have three tries to hit the target



Creating a Performance Sheet: Each team must create a three-fold flier that includes the following:

· Name of the deviceTeam members’ names

· Sketch or drawing of the device

· Picture (digital image)

· Description of how it operates

· Summary of testing data and procedures

· Graph of firing angle versus range

· Other important information



Presenting your device: Each team must create and deliver a five-minute presentation for the class. Presentation requirements:

· The presentation must include:

o All information contained in the performance sheet

o A demonstration of the operation of the device

· All team members must contribute to the presentation.

· After all presentations are given, the class will vote on the “best” device; teams may not vote for their own device. The team with voted “best” will receive bonus points.



Conclusion

1. If you were in a canoe and wanted to paddle to the far side of a fast moving river explain the motion the canoe will travel in the river in respect to a fixed point on the shore.















2. A firefighter arriving at a fire finds the closest she can get to the fire is about 50 feet away. What angle should she set the fire hose to if the water pressure can hold an initial velocity of 115 ft./sec and she needs to have the water enter a second story window that is about 15 feet from the ground?

too long + busy

use air.

water is suicidal

due to not being able to use air or combustables i would suggestr using somthing like a a small home made trebuchet there easy to make

use a compressed gas thats not air

· Cannot utilize high-pressure gases or combustible materials

· Must be constructed primarily out of materials that are found, not bought.

· Must be sketched in engineering journals and approved by your instructor prior to building.


... So your not going to use compressed gas like chainhit says.
... Warweed makes a good suggestion...
http://www.rlt.com/trebuchet/plans/pvc/

I think you could probably do a better job than that.
But it does say they are designed for school projects.

· Cannot utilize high-pressure gases or combustible materials

So, since wood, paper, plastic, fabric, elastic, and rubber bands all burn... they are disqualified.

Metal is the only way to go. Metal spring and metal pipe, and a metal platform in the pipe, adn a metal nib to catch it till you pull the release.