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'{{Other uses}} '''Ballistics''' ([[Greek language|gr.]] βάλλειν ('ba'llein'), "throw") is the science of [[mechanics]] that deals with the [[flight]], behavior, and effects of [[projectile]]s, especially [[bullet]]s, [[gravity bomb]]s, [[rocket]]s, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance. A '''ballistic body''' is a body which is free to move, behave, and be modified in appearance, contour, or texture by ambient conditions, substances, or forces, as by the pressure of gases in a [[gun]] or [[propulsive nozzle]], by [[rifling]] in a barrel, by [[gravity]], by [[temperature]], or by air particles. A [[ballistic missile]] is a [[missile]] only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight, whose course is subsequently governed by the laws of [[classical mechanics]]. Modern inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), contain a maneuverable orbiting bus that positions and releases ballistic warheads in space using celestial navigation. ==History== The earliest known ballistic projectiles were stones and spears,<ref>[http://www.tmth.edu.gr/en/aet/1/14.html "Archytas of Tar entum."] ''Technology Museum of Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece/'' Retrieved: May 6, 2012.</ref><ref>[http://automata.co.uk/History%20page.htm "Ancient history."] ''Automata.'' Retrieved:May 6, 2012.</ref> and the [[boomerang]] in [[Australia]]. crikey ==Gun ballistics== Gun ballistics is the work of projectiles from the time of shooting to the time of impact with the target. Gun ballistics is often broken down into the following four categories, which contain detailed information on each category:<ref>{{cite book |url= http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/docs/fm6-40-ch3.htm |title=FM 6-40 Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Field Artillery Manual Cannonry |author=U.S. Marine Corps |publisher=Department of the Army |year=1996}}</ref> * '''[[Internal ballistics]]''' (sometimes called interior ballistics): the study of the processes originally accelerating the projectile, for example the passage of a [[bullet]] through the barrel of a [[rifle]].<ref>[http://www.ballistics.org/docs/InteriorBallistics.pdf Interior Ballistics] - International Ballistics Society</ref><ref>[http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=AD0462060&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf Interior Ballistics of Guns] - US Army engineering design handbook</ref> * '''[[Transition ballistics]]''' (sometimes called intermediate ballistics): the study of the projectile's behavior when it leaves the barrel and the pressure behind the projectile is equalized.<ref>[http://www.ballistics.org/docs/Ballistic%20Fields%20-%20Launch%20Dynamics.pdf Launch Dynamics] - International Ballistics Society</ref> * '''[[External ballistics]]''' (sometimes called exterior ballistics): the study of the passage of the projectile through a medium, most commonly earth's atmosphere.<ref>[http://www.ballistics.org/docs/Ballistic%20Fields%20-%20Exterior%20Ballistics.pdf Exterior Ballistics] - International Ballistics Society</ref> * '''[[Terminal ballistics]]''': the study of the interaction of a projectile with its target, whether that be flesh (for a hunting bullet), steel (for an [[Anti-tank warfare|anti-tank]] round), or even furnace [[slag]] (for an industrial slag disruptor).<ref>[http://www.ballistics.org/docs/Ballistic%20Fields%20-%20Terminal%20Ballistics.pdf Terminal Ballistics & Impact Physics] - International Ballistics Society</ref> ==Forensic ballistics== [[Forensic science|Forensic]] ballistics involves analysis of bullets and bullet impacts to determine information of use to a court or other part of a legal system. Separately from ballistics information, firearm and tool mark examinations ("[[ballistic fingerprinting]]") involve analysing firearm, ammunition, and tool mark evidence in order to establish whether a certain firearm or tool was used in the commission of a crime. ==Ballistics research== [[Image:Bullet_coming_from_S%26W.jpg|thumb|A photo of a Smith and Wesson firing, taken with an ultra high speed flash ([[air-gap flash]]). Using this sub-microsecond flash, the bullet can be imaged without motion blur to study external ballistics.]] Ballistics can be studied using [[high speed photography]] or [[high-speed_camera]]s. == Astrodynamics == {{main|Astrodynamics}} '''Astrodynamics''' is the application of [[ballistics]] and [[celestial mechanics]] to the practical problems concerning the motion of [[rocket]]s and other [[spacecraft]]. The motion of these objects is usually calculated from [[Newton's laws of motion]] and [[Newton's law of universal gravitation]]. It is a core discipline within space mission design and control. == See also == {{wiktionary}} * [[Ballistic conduction]] (related to [[electron]] transport) * [[Ballistic limit]] * [[Gunshot injury]] * [[Gunshot residue]] * [[Hydrostatic shock]] * [[L.T.E. Thompson]] * [[Comparison microscope#Forensic ballistics|Microscopes and ballistics]] * [[Peter Bielkowicz]] * [[Physics of firearms]] * [[Stopping Power]] * [[Trajectory]] * [[Vaporific Effect]] ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == {{Wikisource1911Enc}} *[http://www.afte.org/ Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners] *[http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/BallisticTrajectories/ Ballistic Trajectories] by Jeff Bryant, [[The Wolfram Demonstrations Project]] *[http://www.quincy.ca/timelines/forensic_firearms_tool_marks.html Forensic Firearms and Tool Marks Time Line] *[http://ballistics.org/ International Ballistics Society] *[http://castpics.net/subsite2/ClassicWorks/The_bullet_s_flight_from_powder_to_targe.pdf The Bullet's Flight from Powder to Target] - Franklin Weston Mann [[Category:Ballistics| ]] [[ca:Balística]] [[cs:Balistika]] [[da:Ballistik]] [[de:Ballistik]] [[el:Βλητική]] [[es:Balística]] [[eo:Balistiko]] [[fa:پرتابه‌شناسی]] [[fr:Balistique]] [[hi:क्षेपण विज्ञान]] [[hr:Balistika]] [[io:Balistiko]] [[id:Balistik]] [[it:Balistica]] [[he:בליסטיקה]] [[kk:Баллистика]] [[lt:Balistika]] [[hu:Ballisztika]] [[ml:പ്രക്ഷേപശാസ്ത്രം]] [[ms:Balistik]] [[nl:Ballistiek]] [[ja:弾道学]] [[no:Ballistikk]] [[pl:Balistyka]] [[pt:Balística]] [[ru:Баллистика]] [[simple:Ballistics]] [[sk:Balistika]] [[sl:Balistika]] [[sr:Балистика]] [[fi:Ballistiikka]] [[sv:Ballistik]] [[tr:Atış bilimi]] [[uk:Балістика]] [[ur:قذفیات]] [[vi:Thuật phóng]] [[zh:弹道学]]'