Gun-projectile Elastic Collisions

[Calvin Pitts]

So I'm reading my textbook and there's a problem asking what the muzzle speed of a projectile would be if the gun it is being fired from is free to recoil. I'm given the muzzle speed of the projectile when the gun is stationary, the mass of the projectile, and the mass of the gun. I'm also told that the kinetic energies of the system is the same for both cases. How is a problem like this solved? Every equation I've thought of so far ends up with two variables (the projectile's new speed and the gun's free-to-recoil speed).

 

[berkeman]

So I'm reading my textbook and there's a problem asking what the muzzle speed of a projectile would be if the gun it is being fired from is free to recoil. I'm given the muzzle speed of the projectile when the gun is stationary, the mass of the projectile, and the mass of the gun. I'm also told that the kinetic energies of the system is the same for both cases. How is a problem like this solved? Every equation I've thought of so far ends up with two variables (the projectile's new speed and the gun's free-to-recoil speed).

Welcome to the PF.

When there are no outside forces involved (when the gun is free to recoil), what fundamental quantities are conserved?

 

[Calvin Pitts]

Welcome to the PF.

When there are no outside forces involved (when the gun is free to recoil), what fundamental quantities are conserved?

Momentum is conserved.

 

[berkeman]

BTW, once you get the fundamental concepts involved, you can start a thread about the problem in the Homework Help, Introductory Physics forum, and fill out the Template that you are provided there. You can show your work on the problem, and ask us to check it for you.

 

[Calvin Pitts]

BTW, once you get the fundamental concepts involved, you can start a thread about the problem in the Homework Help, Introductory Physics forum, and fill out the Template that you are provided there. You can show your work on the problem, and ask us to check it for you.

Awesome, thanks for letting me know!

 

[berkeman]

Momentum is conserved.

Great! So go ahead and start the thread in the HH forums, and show how you work out the problem using that information. Go ahead and post a link to your new thread here once you've started it.

 

[scottdave]

Create one equation using momentum, and another with kinetic energy.

 

[berkeman]

Create one equation using momentum, and another with kinetic energy.

Good hints. Let's see what he posts in his HH thread. Thanks.

 

[Calvin Pitts]

Good hints. Let's see what he posts in his HH thread. Thanks.

I'm spending as much time trying to figure out how to post on the thread as I am trying to figure out the problem. Haha I'm using an iPhone right now, which always seems to make my life harder :)

 

[berkeman]

Oh rats. There may be a bug that keeps you from being able to post in the Homework Help forums using the PF app right now, sorry about that.. Can you post from a laptop or desktop later, or just use the web to post it? Ack!

 

[Calvin Pitts]

Oh rats. There may be a bug that keeps you from being able to post in the Homework Help forums using the PF app right now, sorry about that.. Can you post from a laptop or desktop later, or just use the web to post it? Ack!

I'm actually just using the web browser on my phone. Haha I think I can post, it just takes a while to get there. I'm having more trouble figuring out the problem now. Because I'm not exactly sure how to relate momentum and kinetic energy.

 

[berkeman]

. Because I'm not exactly sure how to relate momentum and kinetic energy.

The hint was to use those for two simultaneous equations...

 

[berkeman]

I'll go ahead and close this thread in the technical forums so you can start your thread in the Homework Help forums.

 

[berkeman]

Resulting HH thread...

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/gun-projectile-elastic-collision.919693/