What energy transformations occur during a rifle shot?
November 13, 2020 | Education
| When fired, the gunpowder burns out, forming hot gases that exert tremendous pressure. The gases do the job of increasing the kinetic energy of the flying bullet and the kinetic energy of the rifle during recoil, part of which is used to heat the barrel and generate a sound wave. All the rest of the energy remains in the heated gases that fly out after the bullet, and, in the end, is transferred to the molecules of the surrounding air.
