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Ballistics (gr.
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 ß???e?? ('ba'llein'), "throw") is the science of mechanics
Mechanics

Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behaviour of physical body when subjected to forces or Displacement , and the subsequent effect of the bodies on their environment....
 that deals with the flight
Flight

Flight is the process by which an object moves either through the air, or movement beyond earth's atmosphere , by aerodynamically generating Lift , propulsion or Lighter than air using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
, behavior, and effects of projectile
Projectile

A projectile is any object propelled through space by the exertion of a force, which ceases after launch. In a general sense, even a Football or baseball may be considered a projectile....
s, especially bullet
Bullet

A bullet is a hard projectile propelled by a firearm, Sling , or air gun and is normally made from metal. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by tissue or mechanical disruption through impact or penetration....
s, gravity bomb
Gravity bomb

A gravity bomb is an aircraft-delivered bomb that does not contain a guidance system and hence, simply follows a Ballistics trajectory.This described all aircraft bombs in general service until the latter half of World War II, and the vast majority until the late 1980s....
s, rocket
Rocket

A rocket or rocket vehicle is a missile, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust by the Reaction of the rocket to the ejection of fast moving fluid exhaust from a rocket engine....
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
GUN

Gun is a Revisionist Western-themed video game developed by Neversoft. It was published by Activision for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2....
, by rifling
Rifling

Rifling is the helix-shaped pattern in the Gun barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis. This spin serves to gyroscope stabilize the projectile, improving its Aerodynamics stability and accuracy....
 in a barrel, by gravity, by temperature
Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
, or by air particles.






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Ballistics (gr.
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 ß???e?? ('ba'llein'), "throw") is the science of mechanics
Mechanics

Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behaviour of physical body when subjected to forces or Displacement , and the subsequent effect of the bodies on their environment....
 that deals with the flight
Flight

Flight is the process by which an object moves either through the air, or movement beyond earth's atmosphere , by aerodynamically generating Lift , propulsion or Lighter than air using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
, behavior, and effects of projectile
Projectile

A projectile is any object propelled through space by the exertion of a force, which ceases after launch. In a general sense, even a Football or baseball may be considered a projectile....
s, especially bullet
Bullet

A bullet is a hard projectile propelled by a firearm, Sling , or air gun and is normally made from metal. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by tissue or mechanical disruption through impact or penetration....
s, gravity bomb
Gravity bomb

A gravity bomb is an aircraft-delivered bomb that does not contain a guidance system and hence, simply follows a Ballistics trajectory.This described all aircraft bombs in general service until the latter half of World War II, and the vast majority until the late 1980s....
s, rocket
Rocket

A rocket or rocket vehicle is a missile, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust by the Reaction of the rocket to the ejection of fast moving fluid exhaust from a rocket engine....
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
GUN

Gun is a Revisionist Western-themed video game developed by Neversoft. It was published by Activision for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2....
, by rifling
Rifling

Rifling is the helix-shaped pattern in the Gun barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis. This spin serves to gyroscope stabilize the projectile, improving its Aerodynamics stability and accuracy....
 in a barrel, by gravity, by temperature
Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
, or by air particles. A ballistic missile
Ballistic missile

A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistics flightpath with the objective of delivering a warhead to a predetermined target....
 is a missile
Missile

A guided missile is a self-propelled projectile used as a weapon. Missiles are typically propelled by rockets or jet engines. Missiles generally have one or more explosive warheads, although other weapon types may also be used....
 only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the laws of classical mechanics
Classical mechanics

Classical mechanics is used for describing the motion of macroscopic objects, from projectiles to parts of machinery, as well as astronomical objects, such as spacecraft, planets, stars, and galaxies....
.

In the field of forensic science, forensic ballistics is the science
Science

In its broadest sense, science refers to any systematic knowledge or practice. In its more usual restricted sense, science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge based on scientific method, as well as to the organized body of knowledge gained through such research....
 of analyzing firearm
Firearm

A firearm is a tool that projects either single or multiple projectiles at high velocity through a controlled explosion. The firing is achieved by the gases produced through rapid, confined combustion of a propellant....
 usage in crimes.

Gun ballistics

Gun ballistics is the study 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:
  • Internal ballistics
    Internal ballistics

    Internal ballistics, a subfield of ballistics, is the study of a projectile's behavior from the time its propellant's igniter is initiated until it exits the gun barrel....
    , the study of the processes originally accelerating the projectile, for example the passage of a bullet
    Bullet

    A bullet is a hard projectile propelled by a firearm, Sling , or air gun and is normally made from metal. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by tissue or mechanical disruption through impact or penetration....
     through the barrel of a rifle
    Rifle

    A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls....
    ;
  • 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.
  • External ballistics
    External ballistics

    External ballistics is the part of the science of ballistics that deals with the behaviour of a non-powered projectile in flight. External ballistics is frequently associated with firearms, and deals with the behaviour of the bullet after it exits the barrel and before it hits the target....
    , the study of the passage of the projectile through space or the air; and
  • Terminal ballistics
    Terminal ballistics

    Terminal ballistics, a sub-field of ballistics, is the study of the behavior of a projectile when it hits its target. It is often referred to as stopping power when dealing with human or other living targets....
    , the study of the interaction of a projectile with its target, whether that be flesh (for a hunting bullet), steel (for an anti-tank round), or even furnace slag
    Slag

    Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to purify metals. They can be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides; however, they can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form....
     (for an industrial slag disruptor).


Forensic ballistics

Ce399side
Expertise Ballistique P1030169
Forensic ballistics involves analysis of bullet
Bullet

A bullet is a hard projectile propelled by a firearm, Sling , or air gun and is normally made from metal. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by tissue or mechanical disruption through impact or penetration....
s and bullet impacts to determine the type. Separately from ballistics information, firearm and tool mark examinations 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.

Rifling
Rifling

Rifling is the helix-shaped pattern in the Gun barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis. This spin serves to gyroscope stabilize the projectile, improving its Aerodynamics stability and accuracy....
, which first made an appearance in the 15th century, is the process of making grooves in gun barrels that imparts a spin to the projectile for increased accuracy and range. Bullets fired from rifled weapons acquire a distinct signature of grooves, scratches, and indentations which are of value for matching a fired projectile to a firearm.

The first firearms evidence identification can be traced back to England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 in 1835 when the unique markings on a bullet taken from a victim were matched with a bullet mold belonging to the suspect. When confronted with the damning evidence, the suspect confessed to the crime.

The first court case involving firearms evidence took place in 1902 when a specific gun was proven to be the murder weapon. The expert in the case, Oliver Wendell Holmes
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was an United States jurist who served on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1902 to 1932. Noted for his long service, his concise and pithy opinions, and his deference to the decisions of elected legislatures, he is one of the most widely cited United States Supreme Court justices in history, particularly...
, had read about firearm identification, and had a gunsmith test-fire the alleged murder weapon into a wad of cotton wool. A magnifying glass was used to match the bullet from the victim with the test bullet.

Calvin Goddard, physician and ex-army officer, acquired data from all known gun manufacturers in order to develop a comprehensive database. With his partner, Charles Waite, he catalogued the results of test-firings from every type of handgun made by 12 manufacturers. Waite also invented the comparison microscope
Comparison microscope

A comparison microscope is a device used to analyze side-by-side specimens. It consists of two microscopes connected by an optical bridge, which results in a split view window enabling two separate objects to be viewed simultaneously....
. With this instrument, two bullets could be laid adjacent to one another for comparative examination.

In 1925 Goddard wrote an article for the Army Ordnance titled "Forensic Ballistics" in which he described the use of the comparison microscope
Comparison microscope

A comparison microscope is a device used to analyze side-by-side specimens. It consists of two microscopes connected by an optical bridge, which results in a split view window enabling two separate objects to be viewed simultaneously....
 regarding firearms investigations. He is generally credited with the conception of the term "forensic ballistics," though he later admitted it to be an inadequate name for the science.

In 1929 the St. Valentine's Day Massacre
St. Valentine's Day massacre

The Saint Valentine's Day massacre is the name given to the death of seven people as part of a Prohibition in the United States conflict between two powerful criminal gangs in Chicago, Illinois, in the winter of 1929: the Neighborhoods of Chicago Italian American gang led by Al Capone and the Neighborhoods of Chicago Irish American gang led...
 led to the opening of the first independent scientific crime detection laboratory in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

See also

  • Ballistic fingerprinting
    Ballistic fingerprinting

    Ballistic fingerprinting, is a term applied to a sub-specialty of the science and profession of forensic Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners....
  • Ballistic conduction
    Ballistic conduction

    Ballistic conduction is the unimpeded flow of charge carrying particles over relatively high distances in a material. Normally, transport of electrons is dominated by scattering events, which relax the carrier momentum in an effort to bring the conducting material to equilibrium....
     (to do with electron transport)
  • Bullet
    Bullet

    A bullet is a hard projectile propelled by a firearm, Sling , or air gun and is normally made from metal. A bullet does not contain explosives, but damages the intended target by tissue or mechanical disruption through impact or penetration....
  • Cartridge
  • Gun
    GUN

    Gun is a Revisionist Western-themed video game developed by Neversoft. It was published by Activision for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 2....
  • Gunshot residue
    Gunshot residue

    Gunshot residue , or more technically, gunshot primer residue, is expelled as tiny particles from the barrel of a firearm when it is fired. Among other materials, gunshot residue contains the heavy metals barium, lead and antimony....
  • Physics of firearms
    Physics of firearms

    From the viewpoint of physics , a firearm, as for most weapons, is a system for delivering maximum destructive energy to the target with minimum delivery of energy on the shooter....
  • Trajectory
    Trajectory

    Trajectory is the path of a moving object that it follows through space. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit - the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass....
  • Vaporific Effect
    Vaporific Effect

    Vaporific effect is a flash fire resulting from the impact of high velocity projectiles with metallic objects. Impacts produces particulate matter originating from either the projectile, the target, or both....
  • Gunshot injury
  • Stopping Power
    Stopping power

    Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target human or animal, an injury sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
  • Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners
    Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners

    The Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners , is a not-for-profit international organization dedicated to the advancement of firearm and tool mark identification, one of the forensic sciences....
  • Mechanics
    Mechanics

    Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behaviour of physical body when subjected to forces or Displacement , and the subsequent effect of the bodies on their environment....


External links

  • by Jeff Bryant, The Wolfram Demonstrations Project.


Ballistic comparison

  • — Trajectory and related calculators