The lead female character in the movie Diamonds Are Forever is standing at the e

Question

The lead female character in the movie Diamonds Are Forever is standing at the edge of an offshore oil rig. As she fires a gun, she is driven back over the edge and into the sea. Suppose the mass of a bullet is 0.023 kg and its velocity is +684 m/s. Her mass (including the gun) is 50 kg. (a) What recoil velocity does she acquire in response to a single shot from a stationary position, assuming that no external force keeps her in place? (b) Under the same assumption, what would be her recoil velocity if, instead, she shoots a blank cartridge that ejects a mass of 5.0 x 10-4 kg at a velocity of +684 m/s?

Explanation / Answer

Since its stated in the problem that we have to assume that no external force act on the system of the lady and the gun. So we can conserve the momentum in this case.

(a)

So by conservation of momentum mv=MV

0.023*684=50*V

V=.023*684/50

V=0.314 m/s

(b)

5*10^-4*684=50*V

V=5*10^-4*684/50

V=0.00684 m/s

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse T
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.