Question

STT 9.5 An explosion in a rigid pipe shoots three balls out of its ends. A 6 g ball comes out the right end. A 4 g ball comes out of the left and with twice the speed of the 6 g ball. From which end, left or right, does the third ball emerge?

Answer 1

The third ball does not emerge from either end of the pipe to conserve momentum, as the total momentum after the explosion in a rigid pipe must remain zero.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question being asked pertains to the conservation of momentum during an explosion in a rigid pipe and determining the direction in which the third ball emerges. Given that the 6 g ball exits to the right and the 4 g ball exits to the left with twice the speed of the 6 g ball, to conserve momentum, the total momentum before and after the explosion must be equal. The explosion starts from rest, so the initial momentum is zero. The momentum of the two balls after the explosion can be calculated, and since they are opposite in direction, they will cancel each other out. Therefore, the momentum of the third ball must also be zero, indicating that it does not emerge from either end.