How Does Heat Affect the Bullet-Wood Problem?

[infraray]

How is the bullet-wood problem different in setup if:
a)the bullet stops in the wood
b)if the bullet goes through the wood?

Is it that (a) would be an inelastic and (b) would use conservation of momentum?

Other question is how can energy loss by heat be calculated by this type of problem?

 

[OlderDan]

How is the bullet-wood problem different in setup if:
a)the bullet stops in the wood
b)if the bullet goes through the wood?

Is it that (a) would be an inelastic and (b) would use conservation of momentum?

Other question is how can energy loss by heat be calculated by this type of problem?

Both are inelastic and both conserve momentum. Heat would be calculated by finding the mechanical energy lost in the process.

 

[QuantumCrash]

Yes, in both cases kinetic energy is not conserved. When calculating the heat energy which is equivalent to loss in KE, we have to assume that no energy is converted to producing sound.