Modelling with plasticine the low speed impact of long rods against inclined rigid targets

When long rods undergo low velocity impact with rigid targets at normal incidence, axial buckling is the primary mode of deformation. As the angle of incidence is increased the severity of the buckle increases and the bending deformation is located close to the proximal end of the rod. Increasing the angle of incidence further leads to a reduced degree of bending and ultimately to a mode of deformation in which incomplete contact is made between the proximal end-face of the rod and the target. At this angle the rod is deflected off the target. Experiments demonstrating these modes using Plasticine rods are presented and a simple theoretical model is proposed to estimate the critical angle at which the second mode takes over from the first.