Use of trajectory in Pearl Harbor attack

By Jovan Kuriakose Bijo
Elementary Category (Grades 4-6)
Study | Physics

Pearl harbor was attacked on 1941. This was indeed a major event in mankind history. Pearl harbor attack resulted in use of nuclear bombs first time in the world. Approximately 2300 people died on pearl harbor and 129,000 to 226,000 has died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

My Study is all about how could Japanese precisely hit USS Arizona without any target lock missile or homing missile. My hypothesis was that Japanese used theory of trajectory to hit USS Arizona precisely. One of the bombs ripped through the ship bed and it exploded in arms chamber which eventually damaged the entire ship. In my project I am trying to combine history with the help of and experiment board to show how speed and height can be used to calculate where the dropped object is supposed to hit.

Formula used to calculate trajectory is s=ut+1/2 at*t .

In my experiment board I have fixed the height and provided a launching pad to drop a steel ball in various velocities. I also have a hand made model of a battleship. A point is marked approximating where USS Arizona was hit. Observers can try to launch the steel ball in various speed to hit the target correctly. This indeed gives a clear idea of how object are falling when they are dropped at an initial horizontal velocity. A second display board shows the current state of USS Arizona.

Hence my hypothesis of trajectory proved to be the key for Japanese to hit USS Arizona precisely. So it is proved that Japanese released the bomb at a point prior to the target point so that bomb will traverse in a trajectory before it hits the ship.

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