Question

Suppose a fireworks shell explodes, breaking into three large pieces for which air resistance is negligible. How does the explosion affect the motion of the center of mass? How would it be affected if the pieces experienced significantly more air resistance than the intact shell?

a) The center of mass remains unchanged; air resistance has no effect.
b) The center of mass moves in the direction of the largest piece.
c) The center of mass moves opposite to the direction of the explosion.
d) The center of mass moves randomly.

Answer 1

When a fireworks shell explodes, the motion of the center of mass is affected by moving in the direction of the largest piece. If the pieces experience significantly more air resistance than the intact shell, it would change the motion of the center of mass.

Step-by-step explanation:

The explosion affects the motion of the center of mass by causing it to move in the direction of the largest piece. When a fireworks shell explodes, the pieces move in different directions, but the center of mass always moves in the same direction as the largest piece. This is because the center of mass represents the weighted average position of the pieces, and the largest piece has the greatest mass, which affects the overall position of the center of mass.

If the pieces experienced significantly more air resistance than the intact shell, it would affect the motion of the center of mass. Air resistance opposes the motion of an object, so if the pieces experience more air resistance, they will slow down and change direction. This would affect the overall position of the center of mass, causing it to move in a different direction than if air resistance was negligible.