Question

A bullet with a mass of 11.5g is fired into a block of wood at a velocity of 257m/s. The block is attached to a spring that has a spring constant of 205 N/m. What is the mass of the bullet?

Answer 1

To find the mass of the bullet, we can use the conservation of momentum principle. The momentum before the collision is equal to the momentum after the collision. Setting the initial and final momentum equal, we can solve for the mass of the bullet.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the mass of the bullet, we can use the conservation of momentum principle. The momentum before the collision is equal to the momentum after the collision.

Initial momentum = mass of the bullet * velocity of the bullet = 11.5g * 257m/s

Final momentum = (mass of the bullet + mass of the block) * velocity of the block

Since the block is attached to a spring, it will compress and the final velocity will be 0. At this point, the bullet will transfer all its momentum to the block.

Setting the initial and final momentum equal, we can solve for the mass of the bullet.

11.5g * 257m/s = (11.5g + mass of the block) * 0

mass of the bullet = 11.5g