The Ol' Spring and Bullet Combo

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on a physics problem involving a bullet and a block connected to a spring. A 4.66 g bullet traveling at an initial speed of 410 m/s passes through a 1.18 kg block, which moves 4.01 cm after the impact. To determine the bullet's exit speed, the conservation of momentum is applied, alongside the spring's potential energy calculated using Hooke's Law with a spring constant of 844 N/m. The energy lost during the collision can also be calculated using kinetic energy equations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of conservation of momentum
  • Knowledge of kinetic energy equations
  • Familiarity with Hooke's Law
  • Basic principles of elastic and inelastic collisions
NEXT STEPS
  • Calculate the bullet's exit speed using conservation of momentum
  • Determine the block's velocity after the bullet passes through
  • Calculate the potential energy stored in the spring after the block's displacement
  • Analyze energy loss during the collision using kinetic energy formulas
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, particularly those focusing on mechanics, as well as educators looking for practical examples of momentum and energy conservation principles.

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Homework Statement


A 4.66 g bullet moving with an initial speed of vi = 410 m/s is fired into and passes through a 1.18 kg block.The block, initially at rest on a frictionless horizontal surface, is connected to a spring with a spring constant of 844 N/m.
a) If the block moves x = 4.01 cm to the right after impact, calculate the speed at which the bullet emerges from the block.
b) Calculate the energy lost in the collision.

Homework Equations



Not entirely sure, maybe some hooke's law, maybe a little bit of momentum and KE equations.

The Attempt at a Solution



I'm not sure where to start and any hints would be much appreciated.
 
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What was the block's velocity after the bullet passed through? You can use that and the conservation of momentum equation to calculate the bullet's exit speed.
 
Thanks.
 

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