Bullet hits a block and it slides.

[talaroue]

Homework Statement

A 7 g bullet is fired into a 13.43 kg wood block that is at rest on a wood table. The block, with the bullet embedded, slides 5.92 cm across the table. What was the speed of the bullet?

Homework Equations

Ki=Kf
ma=N+mg+fs
Xf=Xi+(Vf^2-Vi^2)/2a

The Attempt at a Solution

I am not sure how to solve this because i am not given a coeffieicent of friction of wood on wood. I tried one that i found online (.48) but it didnt work then i tried .25 and that didnt work either. I thought i need this so i can find the acceleration so i can find out delta t so I can find the velocity of the wood with the bullet in it. But i came up with this equation to solve for the velocity of the bullet...

 

[talaroue]

Mb= mass of bullet Mw= mass of wood
Vb= velocity of bullet Vw=Velocity of wood

 

[ppl k1ll3r]

A 7 g bullet is fired into a 13.43 kg wood block that is at rest on a wood table. The block, with the bullet embedded, slides 5.92 cm across the table. What was the speed of the bullet?

You know that during a collision, momentum is conserved:

p = p' (' means final)

(Mbullet)(Vbullet) = (Mblock+bullet)(Vblock)

Also, AFTER the collision, conservation of energy takes place, so:

Et = Et', initially, the block only has kinetic energy, and finally, it comes to rest, so kinetic is converted to thermal:

1/2(Mblock+bullet)(Vblock)^2 = (mew)(Mblock+bullet)(9.8)(0.0592)

I don't know why wou weren't given the coefficient. But if you find it, you can get the final speed of the block, and sub it back to find initial speed of bullet. I don't know, that is the only thing I can think of...

 

[talaroue]

So i do need it, there is no other way to solve this without being given the mu.