In: Physics
A bullet of mass 5.00 g is fired horizontally into a wooden block of mass 1.16 kg resting on a horizontal surface. The coefficient of kinetic friction between block and surface is 0.240. The bullet remains embedded in the block, which is observed to slide a distance 0.200 m along the surface before stopping.
Part A What was the initial speed of the bullet?
Solution:
Given,
mass of the bullet
mass of the wooden block
coefficient of kinetic friction
distance travelled by the combination
The total mass of the bullet and the block is
The normal reaction of the surface on the bullet-block combination is
Let be the kinetic friction between the block and the surface, then
Suppose, the speed of the bullet just before striking the block is . The bullet-block combination moves a distance before coming to rest. It means that the kinetic energy of the bullet is consumed in doing work against the frictional force between the block and the surface. That is,