Question

A 0.150 kg stone rests on a frictionless, horizontal surface. A bullet of mass 9.50 g, traveling horizontally at 380 m/s, strikes the stone and rebounds horizontally at right angles to its original direction with a speed of 250 m/s.

Required:
a. Compute the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the stone after it is struck.
b. Is the collision perfectly elastic?

Answer 1

Answer:

(a)Magnitude=28.81 m/s

Direction=33.3 degree below the horizontal

(b) No, it is not perfectly elastic collision

Explanation:

We are given that

Mass of stone, M=0.150 kg

Mass of bullet, m=9.50 g=$9.50\times 10^{3} kg$

Initial speed of bullet, u=380 m/s

Initial speed of stone, U=0

Final speed of bullet, v=250m/s

a. We have to find the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the stone after it is struck.

Using conservation of momentum

$mu+ MU=mv+ MV$

Substitute the values

$9.5\times 10^{-3}\times 380 i+0.150(0)=9.5\times 10^{-3} (250)j+0.150V$

$3.61i=2.375j+0.150V$

$3.61 i-2.375j=0.150V$

$V=\frac{1}{0.150}(3.61 i-2.375j)$

$V=24.07i-15.83j$

Magnitude of velocity of stone

=$\sqrt{(24.07)^2+(-15.83)^2}$

|V|=28.81 m/s

Hence, the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the stone after it is struck, |V|=28.81 m/s

Direction

$\theta=tan^{-1}(\frac{y}{x})$

=$tan^{-1}(\frac{-15.83}{24.07})$

$\theta=tan^{-1}(-0.657)$

=33.3 degree below the horizontal

(b)

Initial kinetic energy

$K_i=\frac{1}{2}mu^2+0=\frac{1}{2}(9.5\times 10^{-3})(380)^2$

$K_i=685.9 J$

Final kinetic energy

$K_f=\frac{1}{2}mv^2+\frac{1}{2}MV^2$

=$\frac{1}{2}(9.5\times 10^{-3})(250)^2+\frac{1}{2}(0.150)(28.81)^2$

$K_f=359.12 J$

Initial kinetic energy is not equal to final kinetic energy. Hence, the collision is not perfectly elastic collision.