Ping Pong Ball Cannon..Vacuum Cannon versus Compressed Air Cannon

Ping pong balls are a favorite projectile for a vacuum cannons or a compressed air cannon. Either one can generate tremendous speeds for the muzzle velocity, up to speeds approaching 600mph. We'll take a look at the operation of both types individually and see how they compare IN part two we'll combine the two together to generate speeds well in excess of the speed of sound.

Пікірлер: 101

  • @Heeby-Jeebies
    @Heeby-Jeebies4 жыл бұрын

    I'm pretty excited for part two!

  • @Arpin_Lusene
    @Arpin_Lusene4 жыл бұрын

    I remember the supersonic ping pong ball from mythbusters, they found out that air that push the ping pong ball always managed to go around the ball through the tiny gap between the ball and the barrel. So at some point, the length of the barrel will no longer add speed, and even worse in vacuum canon, since some of the escaped air will actually act as cushion and prevented the ball to go through the other end.

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    I haven't seen that episode but am finding the same thing and will show it in part two

  • @jareknowak8712

    @jareknowak8712

    4 жыл бұрын

    + longer tube = more friction.

  • @JANICKGMO_

    @JANICKGMO_

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@YeanyScience hello Bruce, sorry to bother but there is religious promotion in this comment section which shouldnt be on a science channel

  • @Name-js5uq
    @Name-js5uq4 жыл бұрын

    I've been making these for years but it's really funny how I just got done making mine again last night and it worked perfectly and then this showed up in my feed this morning

  • @DoNotPushHere
    @DoNotPushHere4 жыл бұрын

    Just impatiently waiting for part two :D Nice demos!!

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    I'm about halfway through and keep changing, I may have to have 3 parts

  • @DoNotPushHere

    @DoNotPushHere

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@YeanyScience youtuber Nick Moore had one built on a similar manner: vacuum + pressure chamber. He made a separate channel "supersonic cannon of science" or somerhing similar. In case you have technical difficulties, he might help.

  • @oljobo
    @oljobo4 жыл бұрын

    Fabulous Bruce ! Wonderful video! Thank You! Looking forward to part 2 🙏☺️

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    still working on part two which is a lot of fun, it may have to go into part 3

  • @energycrafts8206
    @energycrafts82064 жыл бұрын

    Superb Robert.

  • @jimmytwist7481
    @jimmytwist74814 жыл бұрын

    It’s great to see you doing well Mr. Yeany!!

  • @antalz
    @antalz4 жыл бұрын

    Really great stuff once again! Another entry in my long list of stuff that I want to build...

  • @cceast7890
    @cceast78902 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I was just looking for something for a project I am doing that I know will work. Now, not only do I know it will work but, I also know how and why. Much appreciation!!

  • @billrugg-easey4764
    @billrugg-easey47644 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video again

  • @ahmad-murery
    @ahmad-murery4 жыл бұрын

    That was amazing, I never heard of Vacuum Cannon before, and now I think I know why cannons have a long tube (called barrel I think). can't wait for part 2 Thanks

  • @TheRadioAteMyTV
    @TheRadioAteMyTV4 жыл бұрын

    I take it back, you are NOT MacGyver, you are Rambo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL. Stay safe and healthy.

  • @AlexBayer123
    @AlexBayer1234 жыл бұрын

    Awesome!!

  • @WoLpH
    @WoLpH4 жыл бұрын

    Honestly you're much better than Steve Spangler. He might have a bit of showmanship but you have the skills, knowledge and can interestingly tell what you're doing. Keep it up Bruce!

  • @philipershler420
    @philipershler4204 жыл бұрын

    Most entertaining!

  • @bryanhickman3955
    @bryanhickman39553 жыл бұрын

    I just made the vacuum cannon for my physics class. They loved it. It will make ballistic pendulums a lot more exciting next year. Thanks for the video and the idea.

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    3 жыл бұрын

    I'd love to see how it works out for you, why not post a video on it

  • @Brandons_Mag
    @Brandons_Mag4 жыл бұрын

    Very cool 👍

  • @titusnelson1024
    @titusnelson10244 жыл бұрын

    Well done

  • @resiggy13
    @resiggy134 жыл бұрын

    Noticed at the 12:12 mark when the combined vacuum and compressed air cannon fires you can see some sort of oscillation at the end of the barrel where it appears as if the gasses were attempting to equalize by rapidly flowing in then out then into the barrel end. I hope we get an explanation for that in part 2.

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    Good eye resiggy13, I have some better views of it in part 2

  • @paulsharpe5760
    @paulsharpe57604 жыл бұрын

    Hi another great video

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    thanks! I had fun making it, even more fun with part 2

  • @LouJustlou
    @LouJustlou4 жыл бұрын

    I've wanted to make one of these since I saw the episode on myth busters. These videos gave me the motivation to go ahead and do it. I've had a bit of trouble with cheap mylar balloons failing prematurely so I've switched to the slightly thicker mylar used in some snack food bags. (pirate's booty is the junk food of choice around here) I have a 5 ft tube and so far have been able to get to about 250 mph. I plan to try a few other types of balloons as I think the thicker mylar may be slowing me down. Thanks for the idea! I really enjoyed the videos!

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    Nice to hear that you went ahead and tried it, I started with a 4 foot tube, went to 6 foot and finally 8 foot, speed increased with each change, something else to consider

  • @LouJustlou

    @LouJustlou

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@YeanyScience ahh thanks I will give that a go.

  • @jareknowak8712
    @jareknowak87124 жыл бұрын

    Legend!

  • @JulianMakes
    @JulianMakes4 жыл бұрын

    Awesome

  • @DHealey
    @DHealey4 жыл бұрын

    I remember this on Mythbusters :)

  • @tsviper
    @tsviper4 жыл бұрын

    briliant as always. thanks for the vid.

  • @doeyjiaz4798
    @doeyjiaz47983 жыл бұрын

    "Honey, Im going back to the store for beer... i mean science"

  • @janvisser8452
    @janvisser84524 жыл бұрын

    The most interesting would be to see what materials and weight will get the furthest ! And how this is calculated !

  • @Chazz155511
    @Chazz1555114 жыл бұрын

    I was gonna comment that you should vacuum tube the the barrel of the pressure cannon but you granted my wish! Also, another reason bit might slower is due to the need to accelerate air already in the barrel of the pressure cannon. With vacuum cannon you have no such resistance.

  • @tylosenpai6920
    @tylosenpai69203 жыл бұрын

    Imagine combining both...

  • @MrBill-mq7ti
    @MrBill-mq7ti4 жыл бұрын

    Nice work, thank you. Have you tried anything heavier than a ping pong ball?

  • @clarencegreen3071
    @clarencegreen30714 жыл бұрын

    In the pressure cannon, the air in front (target side) of the ball must be accelerated in order to get out of the way of the ball. Air is heavy. The air inside an ordinary refrigerator weighs about 1 kg or 2 lbs. The longer the barrel, the more air must be accelerated so that the ball gets a smaller proportion of the total energy.

  • @steventhehistorian
    @steventhehistorian4 жыл бұрын

    Bruce, I'm joining your team when the apocalypse happens.

  • @doeyjiaz4798
    @doeyjiaz47983 жыл бұрын

    You need some PLC's for the valve on your compressed air cannon. I know its just for demonstration but lets crank this baby up to 11!

  • @raynaldcloutier3054
    @raynaldcloutier30542 ай бұрын

    You are missing the upper level where the compressed air cannon is coupled to the vacuum cannon

  • @trivialtrav
    @trivialtrav Жыл бұрын

    I made the vacuum cannon and am having trouble getting the ball to exit. Mythbusters used regular packing tape to seal the ends, so I am as well, but the ping pong ball only exits every 3 or so shots. Other times it seems to hit a cushion of air and stop before the end. The ball is almost an exact fit for the pipe, so not much air is getting around, but I still can't get anywhere near the speeds in this video, and that's if it fires out at all.

  • @siuhu91
    @siuhu913 жыл бұрын

    I wish that I had the time to build this for my students

  • @MrAyaz
    @MrAyaz4 жыл бұрын

    Cool

  • @gregfeneis609
    @gregfeneis6094 жыл бұрын

    I imagine the compressed air cannon would benefit from a sort of scupper valve once the barrel length gets long enough. I would rework that ball valve so it can easily snap open, or exchange it for a fast acting butterfly valve.

  • @MrVitor8

    @MrVitor8

    4 жыл бұрын

    Agree! In the video we can see the valve still opening after the ball hitted the can. If the valve could be opened a little bit faster, all that pressure could be released more faster. @Bruce you could think on a way to open that valve more faster.

  • @richardpeterson3753
    @richardpeterson37534 жыл бұрын

    I've seen both combined.results where a wee bit on the stout side

  • @allenmoore9848
    @allenmoore98484 жыл бұрын

    I demonstrated a vacuum cannon at work once. Just the noise from the implosion was enough to make people jump out of their seats.

  • @stopthismadness649
    @stopthismadness6493 жыл бұрын

    you should combine both of the canons by trasphering all the air from the barrel into a airtank behind a valve to add even more pressure difference between the ball

  • @Name-js5uq
    @Name-js5uq4 жыл бұрын

    You know what's really funny I just got done making my own 2-meter long ping pong vacuum device as well

  • @ningen1980
    @ningen19804 жыл бұрын

    Hmm. An interesting concept to use on large scale weapons. A vacuum sealed barrel.

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    I wonder if that has ever been tried

  • @ningen1980

    @ningen1980

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@YeanyScience It would be a sizable bit of engineering to accomplish. But I'm sure it could be done. Although quite expensive to make the barrel a vacuum chamber.

  • @jetegtmeier71
    @jetegtmeier713 жыл бұрын

    the more barrel you add to the compressed air cannon the more air the ball has to push out of the way, correct ?

  • @lukemcclelland1172
    @lukemcclelland11724 жыл бұрын

    I wonder if you could run them in tandem to get even faster balls.

  • @physicsdiy5372
    @physicsdiy53724 жыл бұрын

    Terrific video, I have one of these in my office! Why doesn’t the 126 inch barrel have more velocity than the 108 inch?

  • @h2energynow

    @h2energynow

    4 жыл бұрын

    Friction of the barrel. Because the barrel is straight, cut if refilled inside it would made a difference.

  • @lucianoforster
    @lucianoforster4 жыл бұрын

    Attach the vacuum cannon on the tip of the air cannon so you can have lots of pressure in the back and no resistance in the front. :)

  • @lucianoforster

    @lucianoforster

    4 жыл бұрын

    I’m sorry, you just did that in your new video! That’s awesome 👏🏼

  • @jeffersonramos9284
    @jeffersonramos92844 жыл бұрын

    Incrível

  • @davideperego8287
    @davideperego82874 жыл бұрын

    I did a thing and physics girl: "I've seen this before"

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    I didn't see her's yet but stay tuned for part two, it's going to get a lot more interesting

  • @davideperego8287

    @davideperego8287

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@YeanyScience if interested this are the two videos: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pJ9hmNmBmdDIhdY.html kzread.info/dash/bejne/lHV_09x6qsm-e7Q.html

  • @hiseminencetheholymacdiarmada
    @hiseminencetheholymacdiarmada3 жыл бұрын

    At the very end of the video, watch the end of the tube. You can see it “breathing” as the pressure tries to equalize with the atmosphere.

  • @chaserwilliams1
    @chaserwilliams14 жыл бұрын

    Would a better sized projectile perform better? Something closer to the ID of the pipe to create a better seal?

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    I'm halfway through making part two and keep getting more ideas, this may have to go into 3 parts with that in mind

  • @chaserwilliams1

    @chaserwilliams1

    4 жыл бұрын

    Bruce Yeany Check out Night Hawk In Light’s channel. He made a few really nice vacuum cannons. By the way, your making me contemplate switching from teaching Special Ed to teaching science/physics. lol!

  • @user-hz3yo9mm8n
    @user-hz3yo9mm8n3 жыл бұрын

    make a hole in the ball and fill it with sand...this will give some mass so it can reach crazy speeds and distances

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    3 жыл бұрын

    in a later video I fill the balls with water, makes quite a difference

  • @anotherfreediver3639

    @anotherfreediver3639

    2 жыл бұрын

    In the UK I suspect you could fill them with lead shot ... and commit an offense under the Firearms Act! 🙂

  • @MrFmiller
    @MrFmiller4 жыл бұрын

    Shoot the ball with the pressure cannon through the vacuum cannon.

  • @anomalyp8584
    @anomalyp85844 жыл бұрын

    So theoretically, the max velocity of the vac pump would be the speed of sound ?

  • @MrVitor8

    @MrVitor8

    4 жыл бұрын

    I don't remember the formula now, but, theoretically, the maximum velocity of the air filling a tube with barometric pressure 0 should be equal to light velocity. The barrel in this video don't have barometric pressure equal to 0, and have a lot of gaps to do it workable, and there is the ball's inertia.. it is very hard to calculate the theoretically maximum speed of the ball.

  • @bubblezovlove7213
    @bubblezovlove72133 жыл бұрын

    A projectile hole is always the same shape. Can you tell us anything about that Brucey? Whether it's an airgun through glass or a ball through a window always the same keyhole looking shape. I even once saw a pigeon fly into and crash through a window and the hole was the same shape. A keyhole looking shape....

  • @asimations
    @asimations10 ай бұрын

    Very nice, but don't waste food it is very precious.

  • @sirrichter5336
    @sirrichter53364 жыл бұрын

    Wat would happen if i put my hand in front

  • @Maninawig
    @Maninawig4 жыл бұрын

    Physics girl was able to barely measure the output velocity of the vaccum cannon, allowing us to combine it with your video to compare it.... But the one thing I find interesting is that a certified physicist did not think of speed stops while a science teacher did, allowing for better scientific results. And that a can crushes while a tennis ball absorbs the hit so well.

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    stayed tuned for part 2 next week, I will have some on it where the two canons are combined

  • @tung1hour
    @tung1hour4 жыл бұрын

    If we put a plane figure at the end of the tube, can it make a sonic boom ? 🤔

  • @TheAkagami
    @TheAkagami4 жыл бұрын

    What happen if we combined both vacuum and the compress air cannon?

  • @TheAkagami

    @TheAkagami

    4 жыл бұрын

    As in the tube or barrel be in vacuum state where there is less air resistance for the ping pong ball to travel through and the compressed air providing extra thrust to propel it.. just connect the two cannon together which you would only need to cap the exit end of the barrel while the inlet side would be sealed with the compress air mechanism as shown in the video

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    Hi Shafiq, stayed tuned, I am working on part two now and have gotten some impressive results from the combination

  • @jbt0618
    @jbt06184 жыл бұрын

    10:23 That's alot of damage

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    just wait til part 2

  • @fattmouth7715
    @fattmouth77154 жыл бұрын

    So do rockets work in the so called infinite vacuum of space, with such thin walled aircraft as we were told?

  • @1943vermork

    @1943vermork

    4 жыл бұрын

    Uncle Schickelgrubber What’s wrong with thin walled spacecraft? Was just 5psi inside the Apollo cabin after all. FYI a plastic soda bottle can hold way over 100 psi. And calling infinite vacuum is like saying infinite black. No such thing.

  • @yassermasood3423
    @yassermasood34234 жыл бұрын

    Sir there is a you tube channel called Smarter everyday. He does altra slow motion and is also holds degree in aerospace engineering. I think he will be glad to film it for us. Meanwhile can you please tell us some home science projects during covid lockdown. Thanks and stay safe.

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    I've sent messages to his channel and a few others but have not gotten a response

  • @jareknowak8712
    @jareknowak87124 жыл бұрын

    "ONLY 100 ft." :)

  • @1943vermork
    @1943vermork4 жыл бұрын

    Hi! I’m the ping-pong police 🚔 and I say you cannot do that to our balls

  • @trustthewater
    @trustthewater4 жыл бұрын

    Are those ping pong balls nitrocellulose? Don't just throw away the scraps. :)

  • @diederikvandedijk
    @diederikvandedijk4 жыл бұрын

    12:08 air seems to 'bounce' in and out of the barrel...?!

  • @YeanyScience

    @YeanyScience

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yes, you can see it much better in the videos in part two, I'm still working on it and am exploring that a bit more

  • @l3p3
    @l3p34 жыл бұрын

    3:45 Dear Bruce, I am from Germany and know none of these units even thou I studied computer science here and speak several languages. Please also add metric units to your videos since most people on the planet are used to them. :-)

  • @beliasphyre3497
    @beliasphyre34974 жыл бұрын

    NightHawkInLight has an excellent series of videos exploring both vacuum and air cannons. It's worth checking out his stuff if this interests you.