As long as man has been around there has been fighting, and as long as there has been fighting one individual has sought an advantage over his enemy. Governments have always funded research in order to better understand the world around them, and part of this understanding has been to develop better weapons. From the earliest cavemen to modern man, advantages have been sought in finding bigger, better weapons. In searching for better weapons stones were thrown, slings were developed, guns were produced, and missiles were invented. All of these developments involve a projectile flying through the air, and in order to better understand the nature of these projectiles the science of ballistics was developed.

          The first small arms appeared in history sometime in the 12^{th century. They were used to fire small lead balls and other projectiles at the enemy. Though the small arms of this time were extremely inefficient and ineffective, they induced fear into the opposition and were thus effective as a psychological advantage. Though the cost of firing firearms was a burden to the governments who owned them they were recognized for what they could become, and were made smaller, lighter and more efficient. As these developments in firearm technology began to evolve it was necessary to understand where the projectiles fired would land in order to aim the guns.}

          ^{The first ballisticians were gunners who learned from trial and error how to fire their guns effectively. Initially very few gunners were in armies, again because of expense and inefficiency, and so the trade secrets of projectile aiming were carefully guarded. These men experimented with loads and angles of inclination to learn where there ?bullets? would land. As the guns became more effective and saw increased use in military engagements, the use of the master to apprentice learning system was concluded and a more scientific approach to ballistics began to be practiced.}

          ^{In the beginning of the study of ballistics as a science very little was known about the way an object flew. Originally it was believed that a ?bullet? flew in a straight line directly from muzzle to target without any decrease in velocity. It was also believed that if the target was to far away that the bullet would fly until it came to a stop and then simply fall to the ground. Later, when guns with more firing power were introduced the gunner could actually see the ball fly in a curved path. This observation changed the way ballisticians viewed the effects on a projectile. They began to realize the effects gravity had on an object flying through the air. Though gravity was beginning to be understood, the effects of air resistance on the path of a bullet were not even considered, and the results were inaccuracies in gunnery that could not be explained.}

          ^{The first to apply mathematic principles to aiming and firing a gun was a man by the name of Niccolo Franco Tartaglia, an Italian mathematician. Tartaglia is most famous for being the first to solve cubed roots, but he was fascinated by artillery and the math involved in accurately firing a gun. He took on the challenge of finding the ideal angle to fire a gun and achieve maximum distance, this angle he found to be 45 degrees. Though this angle was mathematically correct, it did not account for the effects air has on a projectile, which resulted in inaccuracies. Tartaglia performed many tests in search of the answer to his problem, and though he never found the answer he kept accurate notes on angles, loads, and other variables involved with firing a gun. One of Tartaglia?s greatest contributions to the science of ballistics was his firing tables, which he published in ?Nova Scientia? or ?The New Science.? These firing tables listed ballistics for all guns built in his time, and were important in educating and training future ballisticians.}

          ^{Another great mind that was responsible for great advancements in the science of ballistics was Galileo Galilei. He understood that air has an effect on the path of a bullet in flight, but he thought these effects were minimal. With these concepts in mind he set out to understand the trajectory of a bullet and the effects gravity has on the trajectory. With advanced math Galileo was able to determine that the path of a bullet in flight is a curved one, called a parabola. As with Tartaglia, the theory was correct but in actuality the math was insufficient, because all variables were not accounted for, namely drag. Though Galileo did not account for drag his trajectories were amazingly accurate. This accuracy is attributed to the low velocities of the projectiles as well as their size. Because the bullets were so massive and traveling at such low velocities they were able to carry through the air without being affected much by their intense drag.}
 
 

          ^{As firearms continued to evolve and greater velocities were achieved it became very important for gunners to understand the ballistics of the projectile in order to accurately fire their guns. A man by the name of Benjamin Robins performed some very important experiments using a device called a ballistic pendulum, (see Figure 2). The ballistic pendulum is a simple device used to measure the energy transferred to a wood block by a projectile. It is simply a heavy wood target suspended by strings. As the bullet strikes the wood block it causes the block to move back and up indicating the amount of energy transferred to the block. By measuring the distance traveled by the wood block, and knowing the mass of the block and bullet it is possible to determine the velocity at which the bullet was traveling.}

          ^{Benjamin Robins used the ballistic pendulum to determine the velocities of shots fired at different ranges. By seeing how much the bullets slowed with range he was able to calculate the extent to which air affects a projectile. According to his experiments, the drag caused by air had an 85 times greater influence on the projectiles he fired than gravity. These numbers were completely unbelievable in his time, but they were proven time and again to be true. With the new calculations offered by Robins, ballisticians found a way to more accurately predict the trajectory of a projectile. It is because of Robins? studies that air drag came to be understood in the field of ballistics.}

          ^{With the evidence offered by Robins on the effects air drag has on the flight of a bullet, ballisticians began to devote great amounts of time trying to understand the effects air drag has on the flight of a bullet. As these effects began to be understood the design and shape of modern bullets came to be adopted to optimize the bullets path in flight. Though many other individuals and ideas contributed to the construction of modern day ballistics, this discussion has been offered to help in a basic understanding of the evolution of ballistics as a science.}