Question

A 10 kg watermelon falls out of a 500 kg truck going 15 m/s. What is the watermelon's momentum? What is the truck's momentum after the watermelon falls out?

A. Watermelon's momentum = 150 kgm/s, Truck's momentum after = 7,350 kgm/s
B. Watermelon's momentum = 150 kgm/s, Truck's momentum after = 7,500 kgm/s
C. Watermelon's momentum = 1,500 kgm/s, Truck's momentum after = 6,500 kgm/s
D. Watermelon's momentum = 15,000 kgm/s, Truck's momentum after = 6,500 kgm/s

Answer 1

The momentum of the watermelon is 150 kg·m/s, and the truck's momentum after the watermelon falls out is 7350 kg·m/s, which corresponds to the given option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

The momentum of an object is calculated using the formula p = mv, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity. When the 10 kg watermelon falls out of the 500 kg truck traveling at 15 m/s, the momentum (p) of the watermelon just after falling out will be:

p = 10 kg × 15 m/s = 150 kg·m/s.

The truck's momentum, excluding the watermelon, can be expressed as:

p = (500 kg - 10 kg) × 15 m/s = 490 kg × 15 m/s = 7350 kg·m/s.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Watermelon's momentum = 150 kg·m/s, Truck's momentum after = 7,350 kg·m/s, which corresponds to option A.