Cannon in a railway carriage; recoil

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on a physics problem involving a cannon mounted on a railway carriage. The combined mass of the cannon and carriage is 1200 kg, while the cannonball has a mass of 1.2 kg and is fired at a velocity of 115 m/s. The recoil speed of the carriage can be calculated using the conservation of momentum principle, which states that the total momentum before firing equals the total momentum after firing. The net distance the carriage moves as a result of the firing can also be determined by analyzing the system's momentum and the subsequent motion of the cannonball.

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Homework Statement



A cannon is bolted to the floor of a railway carriage, which is free to move without friction along a straight track. The combined mass of the cannon and carriage is M=1200 kg. The cannon fires a cannonball, of mass m=1.2 kg, horizontally with velocity v=115 m/s. The cannonball travels the length of the carriage, a distance of 85 m, and becomes embedded in the carriage's end wall.

a. What is the recoil speed of the carriage right after the cannon is fired?

b. what is the velocity of the carriage after the cannonball strikes the far wall?

c. what net distance does the carriage move as a result of the firing of the cannon?

Homework Equations



dont know

The Attempt at a Solution



I really don't know how to start this problem.
 
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Can you apply conservation of momentum to the system before and after the cannon is fired?
 

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