In: Physics
Agent Arlene devised the following method of measuring the muzzle velocity of a rifle (the figure below). She fires a bullet into a 4.114-kg wooden block resting on a smooth surface, and attached to a spring of spring constant k = 164.2 N/m . The bullet, whose mass is 7.870 g, remains embedded in the wooden block. She measures the maximum distance that the block compresses the spring to be 9.460 cm .
What is the speed v of the bullet?