RatedE4Everyone

Well not to that extent but i do need my fellow PBFers help on this one. I actually convinced my Chem teacher to allow me and a partner to do a 15 min presentation on paintball but it must cover all of STSE (S-science , T - Technology , S - society, E - Environmental) and be Chemistry based or involve chemistry.

I was going to talk about the shell of the paintball itself but it is more biology based then chemistry. But i am going to talk about polar bonds and why paintballs are soluble.

but i need more ideas this is where my fellow PBFer's shall rescue me..right?

Crawdaddy

How about doing something with CO2? You can touch on it's chemistry and how it works (or sometimes doesn't) in paintball for example how you can't use it in electronic guns because of the liquid and stuff like that.

2.0

ok. i work at a school. I get about 1 paintball science project a year, and it's usually the same ones.

This year, like in 2002 and 2006, it's the physics of paintball shooting. Projectile physics mostly, but it's a huge project given that we have to book the football field and use tripods, brackets and huge measuring boards.

I don't see how the paint and the shell are biology, sure they're organic compounds mostly, and that's all chemistry. In 2005 i had students actually build a paintball with paint and shell. Granted it wasn't .68 caliber paint, it was like an inch in diameter, amorphous and very squishy but it was sort of spherical and it broke on impact.

Another popular but equipment and time intensive experiment is the chemical analysis of the paint, which involves a fair bit of distillation, starch testing, standardization, characterization etc.

If you have access to a HPLC o just a plain old chromatographer you're set for characterization in no time. I imagine that certain crystallizations can be analyzed with an IR spectrometer, or the solutions be analyzed with a spectrophotometer... lots of choices, but it takes a very well funded science faculty to have this kind of equipment.

My suggestion is not to get too deep into it. Keep it simple because there's plenty of stuff to cover in a presentation.

So, ideas by topic for your presentation.

Science: physics of projectiles, chemistry of the paint and shell, behaviour of propellants.

Technology: the actual inner workings of markers, difference between hammer valves and spool valves and such. The evolution of electronic frames and how they work etc. I find the tippmann C3 a fascinating marker.

Society: the culture of paintball. Teamwork, brotherhood, culture of safety etc.

Environment: the environmental non-impact of paintball, evolution of paintball into an environmentally friendly sport, etc.

Have fun.

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Swedenzfinest

somthin like co2 evaporating into a gas from a liquid state in the tank and the science behind the departure of the Co2 behind a paintball and how different temps can effect the dynamics of the shot itself.

Trbo323

for the chemistry what are you looking for? i mean theres no real chemical reaction when a marker is fired, lots of physics though, but there are plenty of chemicals that are in a marker, the paint, the oil or greese, o and the o rings, that would be a good one, you would talk about the effect of the cold co2's interaction with the o rings and the're life. as for the society of that project, well last i checked paintball is the fastest growing of whats considered "extreme sports" it may be the fastest growing of any, paintball has its own divisions, woodsball, speedball ect, but generally speaking everyone really respects everyone else and which portion of paintball they choose to play.

kenny_1491

Tipman c3 marker actually ignites propane to shoot the paintball.

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Magenta for RB

RatedE4Everyone

nice guys love the ideas! thanks alot

and as for the physics aspect, it really needs to revolve around chemistry more then physics/biology as it is a chemisty course, but i will mention it also i found the shell to be more biology based because after researching i discovered the shells are commonly made from denatured collagen fibers, which is bones skin aand tissues from animals. But i'll still probably mention the chemical build of it.

Also i like the idea of making a paintball that'll earn some creative points :P wish to leak on how this particular student did it? also materials needed? i would be greatful , and for technology , it well revolve mostly on the markers itself. My portion of the assignment is focused on science and technolgy, my partner isn't a paintball fanatic as i am so he decided to let me do the 'harder' issues

2.0

will have to rummage through files to find that one, it's been 3 years...

I know they used polyethylene glycol, food dye, starch and i believe mineral oil as well. Can't think of anything else, but they got the ingredients off the side of a paint case. Once they had the paint to the right consistency they put it into an agar/cellulose shell.

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RatedE4Everyone

yes true they do use PEG for the fill, but for dyes the structures are apparently company secrets oh well. also if its under 3 yrs of files, no need to busy yourself over it, its alright.

Further more i would like to know what the body of markers consist of, all i know is that most are cast from aluminum, or composite plastic. anymore info on this would be much appreciated!

also, any ideas on a Demo thats both Fun and Educational would be appreciated too!

thanks all

enchampion

i did a science project in 8th grade about paintball...i talked about the gelatin paintball shell and how the paint had glucosamine mixture in it