Question

A 2000 kg cannon has a 20 kg cannonball, and they are both at rest. When fired, the cannonball has a velocity of 100 m/s. What is the velocity of the cannon's recoil?

a) 7 m/s
b) 10 m/s
c) 70 m/s
d) 100 m/s

Answer 1

The velocity of the cannon's recoil is -100 m/s (Option D)

Step-by-step explanation:

The velocity of the cannon's recoil can be determined using the principle of conservation of momentum. According to this principle, the total momentum before firing is equal to the total momentum after firing.

The momentum of the cannonball after firing can be calculated using the equation: mass of cannonball x final velocity of cannonball.

Assuming that the cannon remains at rest after firing, the momentum of the cannon before firing is equal to the negative momentum of the cannonball after firing. So the velocity of the cannon's recoil is equal to the negative velocity of the cannonball after firing.

In this case, the mass of the cannonball is 20 kg, and its final velocity is 100 m/s. Therefore, the velocity of the cannon's recoil is -100 m/s, which is represented by option d) 100 m/s.