Ask a Teacher

Search



WHY A HEAVY GUN NOT RECOIL SO STRONGLY AS ALIGHT GUN FIRING THE SAME BULLET ?
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses."For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"(Newton's third law of motion). Recoil of a gun is the reaction to the action of firing a bullet. In the case of a heavy firearm, there is more mass in which the energy is divided- itmoves more weight, with less speed. A lighter firearm, having less weight, moves faster, and gives more noticeable recoil.Generally, the counter-recoil force is smaller than the recoil force, and is applied over a time period that is longer than the time that the recoil force is being applied (i.e. the time during which the ejecta are still in the barrel of the gun). This imbalance of forces causes the gun to move backward until it is motionless.


comments powered by Disqus