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buffgilville
Oct26-04, 07:38 PM
A bullet of mass 0.11 kg and moving along the horizontal direction with a speed 1129.8 meters/sec hits a wooden block of mass 12.7 kg and gets embedded in it. Find the impulse acting on the block in meters/sec.

Here's what I did:
initial momentum = (0.11*1129.8) + (12.7*0) = 124.278
final momentum = (0.11 + 12.7) v

inelastic collision, momentum is conserved; so:
initial momentum = final momentum
124.278 = 12.81v
v = 9.702 m/s
final momentum = (12.81*9.702) = 124.278

Impulse = final momentum - initial momentum
= (124.278-124.278)
= 0

The answer is 123.21 meter/sec. What did I do wrong? Please help. Thanks!

Leong
Oct26-04, 07:49 PM
Sorry, supposed to be :The change of the bullet's velocity is due to the impulse force exerted on the bullet by the block.
The change of the block's velocity is due to the impulse force exerted on the block by the bullet.

buffgilville
Oct26-04, 08:02 PM
Thanks Leong!