How Is Average Force Calculated When Bullets Hit Different Surfaces?

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem involving a machine gun firing 20g bullets at a velocity of 300m/s at a rate of 60 bullets/second. The first question asks about the average force exerted on a thick wooden wall by the bullets, and the second question asks about the average force on a steel wall when the bullets rebound elastically. The response to the first question involves calculating the impulse and dividing by the time for one bullet to be fired, resulting in an average force of 360N. The response to the second question uses the same concept but takes into account the change in momentum due to the elastic rebound. The answer is twice the average force calculated for the first question.
  • #1
brad sue
281
0
Hi,
Please can I have some help with this problem:

A machine gun in automatic mode fires 20g bullets with vbullet=300m/s at 60 bullets/second.
a- If the bullets enters a thick wooden wall, what is the average force exerted against the wall?
b- If the bullets hit a steel wall and rebound elastically,what is the average force on the wall?


What i did is
for a:
I computed the impulse: I= pf-pi= m*v-( 0)=6 N.s
to calculate the average force: I/(time for one bullet to be fired)= 6/(1/60)=360N


Am I right?
However I have no idea for the second question??
B.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
brad sue said:
Hi,
Please can I have some help with this problem:
A machine gun in automatic mode fires 20g bullets with vbullet=300m/s at 60 bullets/second.
a- If the bullets enters a thick wooden wall, what is the average force exerted against the wall?
b- If the bullets hit a steel wall and rebound elastically,what is the average force on the wall?

What i did is
for a:
I computed the impulse: I= pf-pi= m*v-( 0)=6 N.s
to calculate the average force: I/(time for one bullet to be fired)= 6/(1/60)=360N

Am I right?
However I have no idea for the second question??
B.

please can someone help me with this problem?
 
  • #3
brad sue said:
What i did is
for a:
I computed the impulse: I= pf-pi= m*v-( 0)=6 N.s
to calculate the average force: I/(time for one bullet to be fired)= 6/(1/60)=360N

Am I right?
Yes.
However I have no idea for the second question??
It's the same idea. The only difference is the change in momentum. (The final velocity of the bullet is not zero.)
 
  • #4
I think that for the second question, the average force should be twice as much, cos the collision is modeled as completely elastic, so you have the following maths...
FT = m(u-v) // m = 0.02 kg, u = 300 m/s, v = -300 m/s ...
Therefore, the answer to the second question is twice your answer to the first part (I think) someone will correct me if I'm wrong, so if I am wrong, then it doesn't matter
 

1. What is force?

Force is a physical quantity that can cause an object with mass to accelerate. It is typically measured in units of Newtons (N) and is represented by the symbol F.

2. How is force related to acceleration?

According to Newton's second law of motion, force is directly proportional to acceleration. This means that if the force acting on an object increases, its acceleration will also increase, and if the force decreases, the acceleration will also decrease.

3. What is the difference between mass and weight?

Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object, while weight is a measure of the force of gravity acting on that object. Mass is measured in kilograms (kg) and weight is measured in Newtons (N).

4. What is impulse?

Impulse is the change in momentum of an object caused by a force. It is calculated by multiplying the force acting on an object by the time interval during which the force acts.

5. How is impulse related to force and time?

Impulse is directly proportional to both force and time. This means that a larger force or a longer time interval will result in a greater change in momentum and therefore a larger impulse.

Similar threads

  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
831
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
28
Views
8K
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
13
Views
6K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
25
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
31K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
Back
Top