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A shell of mass 8.0-kg leaves the muzzle of a cannon with a horizontal velocity of 600 m/s. Find the recoil velocity of the cannon, if its mass is 500kg.

User Doremi
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1 Answer

7 votes

Answer:

velocity of recoil velocity of cannon is -9.6 m/sec

Explanation:

according to law of conservation of momentum

total momentum of isolated system of body remains constant.

momentum = mass of body* velocity of body.

__________________________________

in the problem the system is

shell + cannon

momentum of shell = 8*600 = 4800 Kg-m/sec

let the velocity of cannon be x m/sec

momentum of cannon = 500*x = 500x Kg-m/sec

initially the system of body is in rest (before the shell is fired) hence, total momentum of the system i is 0

applying conservation of momentum

total momentum before shell fired = total momentum after the shell is fired

0 = momentum of shell + momentum of cannon

4800 + 500x = 0

x = -4800/500 = -9.6

Thus, velocity of recoil velocity of cannon is -9.6 m/sec

here negative sign implies that direction of velocity of cannon is opposite to that of velocity of shell.

User Darzen
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