Shira S
Dec 19, 2016, 10:28 AM
Question:
A bullet of mass 5g is shot through a wooden block of mass 1kg, that is attached to a 2m string. The center of the block rises .4 cm. Find the velocity of the bullet when it leaves the block if its initial velocity is 300 m/s.
Attempted Solution:
Using the information I have (mB=.005kg, mW=1kg, vB=300m/s, vW=0), and with thr assumption that this is a 1D elastic collision, I set up two equations.
(1) uB - uW = vB - vW --> uB - uW = 300
(2) mBvB + mWvW = mBuB + mWuW -- > 1.5 = .005uB + uT
Solving the system of equations got me uB = 300 m/s
However the answer key says 244 m/s. Where did I go wrong?
A bullet of mass 5g is shot through a wooden block of mass 1kg, that is attached to a 2m string. The center of the block rises .4 cm. Find the velocity of the bullet when it leaves the block if its initial velocity is 300 m/s.
Attempted Solution:
Using the information I have (mB=.005kg, mW=1kg, vB=300m/s, vW=0), and with thr assumption that this is a 1D elastic collision, I set up two equations.
(1) uB - uW = vB - vW --> uB - uW = 300
(2) mBvB + mWvW = mBuB + mWuW -- > 1.5 = .005uB + uT
Solving the system of equations got me uB = 300 m/s
However the answer key says 244 m/s. Where did I go wrong?