Physics lesson goes awry

[a_kamal]

A physics teacher in london wanted to show the trajectory and deceleration of a pellet fired from an air rifle , but he made the experiment too adventuresome by asking pupils to stand on their desks holding paper sheets at arms length through which the pellets progress can be measured, apparently the pellet was fired too close to the wooden desks and after going through some sheets of paper it grazed the wood and changing direction hit one student in the leg, Apparently it had lost most of its energy so did not penetrate the flesh and gave a superficial wound - but the teacher lost his job anyway.

This just shows how underestimated air rifles are as a weapon , I was hit by a richochetting pellet and almost lost my left eye , my friend carries a pellet in his foot becos he thought the pellet will not penetrate the leather shoe and the latest case of banglore engineer who shot at monkeys and they died .

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/pupils-s ... t-in-leg-1

[brihacharan]

> Just goes to emphasize the "Importance of Following Safety Rules"
Briha

[nagarifle]

once shot twice dead??

[essdee1972]

I thought the teacher would have been arrested under current UK laws for even carrying the AR to school, as well as letting the poor impressionable young kids SEE such a deadly thing? or is my understanding of UK laws flawed?

[a_kamal]

hi ess dee
I also think he might have been arrested but some things went in his favour and he just got a suspension , 1. his long spotless profession as teacher, 2. his popularty with the students , the student who was hit has actually setup a FB page in support of the teacher claiming he did not do it deliberateley so should be reinstated.

i am also in favour that the teacher should get his job back after the punishment of suspension as there was no malicious intent here, just a project gone wrong.

On the positive note i am sure that students and teacher all have learnt a good lesson , they will treat the AR with respect in future .

[bennedose]

Very stupid thing to do. An air rifle at 5 meters is as effective in causing injury as small firearms at much longer ranges. Ultimately it is the energy to penetrate and the particular organ that is damaged that counts. Not the actual weapon that shot the projectile.

I must admit that i did this very same experiment and photographed it. But I did it alone. It is easy to perform alone - the sheets of paper need to be held in some way - and not by students.