In: Physics
A 3.9 kg block of wood sits on a frictionless table. A 3.0 g bullet, fired horizontally at a speed of 430 m/s , goes completely through the block, emerging at a speed of 200 m/s .
Part A:
Consider a system of both objects. Is momentum conserved in this situation? Explain.
Part B:
For the same system of both objects, is kinetic energy conserved? Explain.
Part C:
What is the speed of the block immediately after the bullet exits? (Note: Just give your final answer here; show your work in Part D.)
Part D:
Suppose that you had a system of just the block, instead of the system that you used in the previous parts. Explain how this would change your approach to parts (B) and (C).
Part E: Suppose that the bullet had instead glanced off the side of the block, so that the bullet ended up going in a direction 30o to one side of its initial trajectory. (For example, if the bullet was initially going east, it ended up going 30o north of east.) Explain how that would change your approach to Parts (B) and (C).