The Ping-Pong Cannon: A Closer Look

This paper describes the use of laser pulse photography, optical timing, and pulsed Schlieren to look more closely at the dynamics of a popular lecture demonstration—the so-called “Ping-Pong cannon” or “vacuum bazooka.”1,2 These optical diagnostic techniques are applied to two types of cannons and lead to greater knowledge of the kinematics of the accelerating ball, along with some details of the exit mechanism and subsequent target interactions.