Projectile

Bullet fired with a revolver.

A projectile is any object thrown into space by the action of a force. Although a thrown ball is technically also a projectile, the term generally refers to a weapon. For mathematical details regarding the trajectory of a projectile, see equations of motion.

Soccer balls or tennis balls could be considered projectiles, but the term often refers to weapons. Arrows, darts, or spears are weapons thrown using the mechanical force applied by another object. Other weapons use the force of compressed air to fire. Guns, rifles and others use the expansive force of the gases released by certain chemical reactions. In general, the projectiles are made of metal and this coating allows them to easily penetrate their target.

There are projectiles designed to be non-lethal, which are usually made of not very dense materials, such as (rubber, plastic, etc.).

Ballistics analyzes the trajectory of the projectile, the forces acting on the projectile, and the impact the projectile has on the target.

Driving force

Reproduction of a French catapult at the Castle of the Baux.

Arrows, darts, spears, and other similar weapons are propelled solely by mechanical forces applied by another object, eg, a catapult, slingshot, slingshot, bow, and launch without the use of a tool.

Other weapons use the compression or expansion of gases to propel a projectile.

Railguns use electromagnetic fields to provide a constant acceleration along the length of the device. Vastly increasing the speed of the projectile.

Blowguns and airguns use compressed gas, while all other firearms use the expanding gases generated by chemical reactions.

Some projectiles propel themselves during flight using a rocket or jet engine. In military terminology, a rocket is unguided while a missile is guided. Note the two senses of "rocket" (weapon rocket and rocket engine): an ICBM is a missile that uses rocket engines.

Vehicle projectiles

Many types of shells are used to "carry" some cargo to its destination (not just the shell itself). A projectile, for example a howitzer, may contain an explosive charge or some other type of chemical or biological substance. In addition to an explosive, a projectile can cause a certain type of damage depending on what it carries; for example an incendiary agent or even poison (as in poisoned arrows).

Kinetic Projectiles

Proyectil APFSDS.

A projectile that does not carry any explosive or other charges is called a "kinetic projectile", "kinetic energy weapon", "kinetic energy warhead", "kinetic howitzer", or "kinetic penetrator". Typical kinetic energy weapons are simple projectiles like rocks and cannonballs, pointed like arrows, and somewhat pointed like bullets. Non-explosive shells include those fired from railguns, gauss guns, and electromagnetic catapults, as well as APFSDS. All of these weapons work by giving their projectiles great speed (hypervelocity) to collide, transforming the immense kinetic energy into destructive shock waves and heat.

Some kinetic weapons designated for objects in space flight are anti-satellite weapons and anti-ballistic missiles. Since to reach an orbiting object these projectiles must reach immense velocities, the sheer kinetic energy they carry is enough force to destroy their targets, making explosives unnecessary. For example: the energy of TNT is 4.6 MJ/kg, while the energy of an object moving at about 10 km/s is 50 MJ/kg. This saves extra weight and accurate detonation is not needed. However, this method requires direct contact with the target, which requires a more accurate trajectory.

Regarding anti-missile weapons, the Hetz and MIM-104 Patriot have explosives, while the Kinetic Energy Interceptor, Light Exoatmospheric Projectile (LEAP, see RIM-161) and THAAD do not (see Missile Defense Agency).

See also Terminal Ballistics and EKV

A kinetic energy weapon can also be dropped from an aircraft for a precision hit with less collateral damage (since, for example, it contains concrete instead of some explosive). A typical bomb has a mass of 900 kg and falls at a speed of 800 km/h (220 m/s). This type of method has been used in the Iraq war and subsequent military operations in Iraq by using concrete-filled bombs with the JDAM's GPS device to attack vehicles and other "soft" targets that are in close proximity to civilian structures. like to use high explosive bombs.

A Promt Global Strike can use kinetic weapons. Kinetic bombardment can employ projectiles dropped at Earth orbit level.

A hypothetical weapon that travels at a considerable fraction of the speed of light, usually found in science fiction, is called a relativistic bomb.

Wire Projectiles

Some projectiles remain connected to the launch equipment by a cable after launch:

• To be guided: directed lightning missile (range up to 4 km).
• To administer an electrochoke, as in the case of the Taser (range up to 10.6 meters); two shells are fired simultaneously, each with a cable.
• To connect the pitcher with the target, either to pull the target, like a whale harpoon, or to take the pitcher to the target, as a gripper does.

Miscellaneous

Ballistics analyzes the trajectory of a projectile, the forces acting on a projectile, and the impact the projectile has on a target.

An explosion, whether or not caused by a weapon, turns thrown fragments into high-velocity projectiles. An explosive weapon may also be designed to produce many high velocity projectiles from the explosive container.