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A cannon is located on a small cart which is being pulled along ahorizontal trac

ID: 1751800 • Letter: A

Question

A cannon is located on a small cart which is being pulled along ahorizontal track by an external force (a weight hanging over thetable edge). The cart is accelerating. A ball is fired straight outof the cannon as it moves. After the is fired, what happens to theball?
A. it depends upon how much the track is tilted B. it falls behind the cart C. it falls in front of the cart D. it falls right back into the cart E. it remains at rest
A. it depends upon how much the track is tilted B. it falls behind the cart C. it falls in front of the cart D. it falls right back into the cart E. it remains at rest

Explanation / Answer

B.    it falls behind the cart ...BECAUSE the cart is getting faster forward ...while the BALL DOES NOT ACCELERATE FORWARD WHEN IT LEAVES THECANNON because NO HORIZONTAL FORCE acts on it ...the ball continues to move at the HORIZONTAL VELOCITY it hadwhen it left the cart A.    it depends upon how much the track istilted----------->NO, it says the track is HORIZONTAL C.    it falls in front of thecart---------------------->NO, because the cart is acceleratingforward and the ball's not D.    it falls right back into the cart---------------->NO, because the cart is accelerating E.    it remains at rest-------------------------------->NO, because the ball isinitially moving :-|