Disclaimer:

Reprinted by permission of Dick Berg, University of Maryland, for use on this website.

The demonstrations contained and referenced herein are listed for the purposes of cataloging and describing physics demonstrations which should be conducted only under the direction of a trained instructional support professional or physicist. These demonstrations are not presented for the purpose of being conducted by persons unconnected to this Facility and/or persons not consulting with or being supervised by the recognized instructional support professional or physicist and his/her staff. The University is responsible only for those demonstrations carried out using its own equipment using established safety and scheduling policies, and bears no responsibility for those choosing to use this source material for their own purposes. All demonstrations described and contained herein are public domain, and can also be found in reference materials in libraries, bookstores, and electronic sources.

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The track for the Pasco apparatus must be level before starting.  Also make sure the gun alignment is correct.  This may be adjusted with the screws adjustments on the gun mechanism.  Mount the triggering flag at the proper height.  When the cart and gun are pushed down the track the gun will automatically fire when triggered by the flag.  

Another version of this demonstration with the Pasco apparatus is to use a bridge to cover a portion of the track.  If the gun it triggered before it hits the bridge the ball should shoot over the bridge and be caught in the car at it emerges from under the bridge.