Question

A cannon shoots a 70kg clown at 15 m/s. If the cannon has a mass of 750 kg, what was the recoil velocity of the cannon?

a. 1.4 m/s
b. 1.4 kg m/s
c. 300 m/s
d. 300 kg m/s

Answer 1

The recoil velocity of the cannon is 1.4 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the recoil velocity of the cannon, we can use the conservation of momentum. The total momentum before the clown is shot is equal to the total momentum after the clown is shot. We can calculate the momentum of the clown by multiplying its mass by its velocity, and then subtract it from the initial momentum of the cannon. By dividing the negative initial momentum of the cannon by its mass, we can find its recoil velocity. Therefore, the recoil velocity of the cannon is 1.4 m/s (option a).