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Using Physics: Rifling and Ballistics
let into it from a set distance, usually about ten feet (3 meters). The bullet
blasts into the gel,
expending
energy as it goes. The distance it travels in
the gel is then used to calculate the energy the bullet had as it left the gun.
With this information, estimates can be made of the distance the bullet
found at the crime scene traveled from its point of origin.
The laws that govern how things move and how energy is expended give
crime investigators many clues. The laws of physics apply not only to how
bullets behave but also to bombs and other explosions.
