Paintball velocity as a function of distance traveled

The relationship between the distance a paintball travels through air and its velocity is investigated by firing a paintball into a ballistic pendulum from a range of distances. The motion of the pendulum was filmed and analyzed by using video analysis software. The velocity of the paintball on impact was calculated from the maximum horizontal displacement of the pendulum. It is shown that the velocity of a paintball decreases exponentially with distance traveled, as expected. The average muzzle velocity of the paint balls is found with an estimate of the drag coefficient.