Question

In the biathlon event in the Olympics, a rifle with a mass of 2.5 kg shoots a bullet with a mass of 0.02 kg. After being shot, the bullet travels at a speed of 525 m/s. What is the total momentum of the rifle-bullet system after the bullet is shot?

a. 0 kg·m/s
b. 1323 kg·m/s
c. 1313 kg·m/s
d. 10.5 kg·m/s

Answer 1

The total momentum of the rifle-bullet system after the bullet is shot is 10.5 kg·m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

The total momentum of a system is the sum of the momenta of all the individual objects in the system. In this case, we have a rifle with a mass of 2.5 kg and a bullet with a mass of 0.02 kg.

Using the formula:

Total momentum = Mass of rifle * velocity of rifle + Mass of bullet * velocity of bullet

We can calculate the total momentum by substituting the given values: 2.5 kg * 0 m/s + 0.02 kg * 525 m/s = 10.5 kg·m/s