Natural Sciences >> PhysicsBetter Safe Than Sorry: How far can a .223 caliber bullet penetrateby Richard Edins
Submitted : Fall 2019
This project's goal is to determine how far will a bullet penetrate plywood, and how thick the plywood needs to be to completely stop the bullet without it exiting from the back. In order to do this, research on both the plywood and bullet had to be done. Birch plywood was chosen because it is readily available at most hardwood stores. Its easy access to the public makes the test and calculations more relevant. The dimensions for this plywood was .75 in. thick x 4ft. wide x 8ft long weighing approximately 75 lbs. The dimensions were converted into centimeters so and the weight into mass so that the volume, and then density, could be found. The bullet chosen was the .223 caliber Remington round. It is a very common type of ammunition that is found in the home of almost all rifle owners. The velocity and diameter of the round were needed for this experiment was well as its weight in grains. All of this information is available on the website on the manufacture of the bullet. For this experiment, all calculations were used for a 55 grain .223 round. The grain refers directly to the mass of the bullet itself. It is a small unit of measure with 437.5 grains equaling one ounce. Once all of the conversions were finished, the densities of both the bullet and plywood were found. Newton’s approximation for impact depth was then used to estimate the penetration of the bullet into the plywood. The calculations showed that at 100 yards, or 91.44 meters, the bullet will penetrate about 23.98 cm or 9.44 inches. This means that at 100 yards the birch plywood would not stop the bullet at all. Related Links:
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