How can assumptions impact the calculation of projectile and explosion?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on the assumptions needed to calculate the landing distance of fragment B after a shell explosion. Key assumptions include energy conservation, instantaneous explosion, absence of air resistance, level terrain, flat earth, and constant gravitational acceleration. The initial calculations yielded a distance of 35,374.04 m, but confusion arose regarding which assumptions were necessary for accurate results. It was clarified that while energy is not conserved during an explosion, momentum is crucial, and assumptions about terrain and gravity significantly affect the outcome. Overall, the assumptions regarding the explosion's nature and environmental conditions are critical for precise calculations.
amcavoy
Messages
663
Reaction score
0
A shell is fired from a gun with a muzzle velocity of 600 m/s at an angle of 30.0o with the horizontal. The shell explodes into two fragments of equal mass 41.0 s after leaving the gun. Fragment A, whose speed immediately after the explosion is zero, falls vertically. Fragment B proceeds in the forward direction. How far from the gun does fragment B land? What additional assumptions are needed to answer this question?:

1. energy is conserved
2. Instantaneous explosion
3. No air resistance
4. Level terrain
5. Flat earth
6. Constant g

I got the answer to the first part (35,374.04 m), but I'm having trouble with the second. At first, I thought 1,2,3,6 would be the answer, but that was wrong. Then, I said that 2,3,6 would be the answer, but that too was wrong. Now I am thinking that the energy wouldn't matter (momentum, however, would matter). 2 definitely needs to be assumed, as well as 3,4,5, and 6. The answer would change if there was air resistance, the terrain wasn't level (which would in turn that the Earth isn't flat), and finally if g was taken to be universal gravity rather than local, the answer would change a bit. Would I be correct to assume 2,3,4,5,6?

Thank you.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
This question is sort of vague. 4 and 5 would basically be the same (at least in this context).
 
If 4 and 5 are the same then your answer is correct.
In an explosion energy isn't conserved cause of the explosion, when you trigger the explosion then you change the energy:
if there is a bomb at rest then its energy is 0. But when it explodes it has a lot of kinetic energy.
 
I multiplied the values first without the error limit. Got 19.38. rounded it off to 2 significant figures since the given data has 2 significant figures. So = 19. For error I used the above formula. It comes out about 1.48. Now my question is. Should I write the answer as 19±1.5 (rounding 1.48 to 2 significant figures) OR should I write it as 19±1. So in short, should the error have same number of significant figures as the mean value or should it have the same number of decimal places as...
Thread 'A cylinder connected to a hanging mass'
Let's declare that for the cylinder, mass = M = 10 kg Radius = R = 4 m For the wall and the floor, Friction coeff = ##\mu## = 0.5 For the hanging mass, mass = m = 11 kg First, we divide the force according to their respective plane (x and y thing, correct me if I'm wrong) and according to which, cylinder or the hanging mass, they're working on. Force on the hanging mass $$mg - T = ma$$ Force(Cylinder) on y $$N_f + f_w - Mg = 0$$ Force(Cylinder) on x $$T + f_f - N_w = Ma$$ There's also...
Back
Top