Enter the velocity of the bullet, the mass of the bullet, and the stopping distance into the calculator to determine the bullet impact force.

Bullet Force Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Bullet Force.

Fb = 1/2*m*v^2/d
  • Where Fb is the average bullet impact force (N)
  • m is the mass of the bullet
  • v is the velocity of the bullet (m/s)
  • d is the stopping distance of the bullet

What is a Bullet Force?

Definition:

A bullet force is defined as the average force applied to the object that a bullet is applying to an object during impact.

In other words, when a bullet strikes an object, how much force is applied as a result of the impact.

How to Calculate Bullet Force?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Bullet Force.

First, determine the mass of the bullet. In this example, the mass of the bullet is 100 grains = .00647989 kg.

Next, determine the velocity of the bullet. This bullet is traveling at 2000 m/s.

Next, determine the stopping distance. For this problem, the stopping distance is 5mm = .005 m.

Finally, calculate the bullet force using the formula above:

Fb = 1/2*m*v^2/d

Fb = 1/2*.00647989*2000^2/.005

Fb = 2591956 N