Solving Momentum in Inelastic Collisions

AI Thread Summary
In the discussion on solving momentum in inelastic collisions, a bullet of mass 0.11 kg traveling at 1129.8 m/s collides with a wooden block of mass 12.7 kg, embedding itself in the block. The initial momentum is calculated as 124.278 kg·m/s, and using conservation of momentum, the final velocity of the combined masses is determined to be 9.702 m/s. However, the impulse acting on the block is incorrectly calculated as zero, when it should reflect the change in momentum due to the bullet's impact. The correct impulse is derived from the change in velocity of both the bullet and the block. The final answer for the impulse acting on the block is 123.21 m/s, highlighting the importance of accurately accounting for momentum changes in collisions.
buffgilville
Messages
91
Reaction score
0
A bullet of mass 0.11 kg and moving along the horizontal direction with a speed 1129.8 meters/sec hits a wooden block of mass 12.7 kg and gets embedded in it. Find the impulse acting on the block in meters/sec.

Here's what I did:
initial momentum = (0.11*1129.8) + (12.7*0) = 124.278
final momentum = (0.11 + 12.7) v

inelastic collision, momentum is conserved; so:
initial momentum = final momentum
124.278 = 12.81v
v = 9.702 m/s
final momentum = (12.81*9.702) = 124.278

Impulse = final momentum - initial momentum
= (124.278-124.278)
= 0

The answer is 123.21 meter/sec. What did I do wrong? Please help. Thanks!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Sorry, supposed to be :The change of the bullet's velocity is due to the impulse force exerted on the bullet by the block.
The change of the block's velocity is due to the impulse force exerted on the block by the bullet.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Leong!
 
Kindly see the attached pdf. My attempt to solve it, is in it. I'm wondering if my solution is right. My idea is this: At any point of time, the ball may be assumed to be at an incline which is at an angle of θ(kindly see both the pics in the pdf file). The value of θ will continuously change and so will the value of friction. I'm not able to figure out, why my solution is wrong, if it is wrong .
TL;DR Summary: I came across this question from a Sri Lankan A-level textbook. Question - An ice cube with a length of 10 cm is immersed in water at 0 °C. An observer observes the ice cube from the water, and it seems to be 7.75 cm long. If the refractive index of water is 4/3, find the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. I could not understand how the apparent height of the ice cube in the water depends on the height of the ice cube immersed in the water. Does anyone have an...
Thread 'A bead-mass oscillatory system problem'
I can't figure out how to find the velocity of the particle at 37 degrees. Basically the bead moves with velocity towards right let's call it v1. The particle moves with some velocity v2. In frame of the bead, the particle is performing circular motion. So v of particle wrt bead would be perpendicular to the string. But how would I find the velocity of particle in ground frame? I tried using vectors to figure it out and the angle is coming out to be extremely long. One equation is by work...
Back
Top