The ballistic pendulum (Figure a) is a device used to measure the speed of a fas

Question

The ballistic pendulum (Figure a) is a device used to measure the speed of a fast-moving projectile such as a bullet. The bullet is fired into a large block of wood suspended from some light wires. The bullet is stopped by the block, and the entire system swings up to a height h. It is possible to obtain the initial speed of the bullet by measuring h and the two masses. As an example of the technique, assume that the mass of the bullet, m1, is 5.23 g, the mass of the pendulum, m2, is 1.061 kg, and h is 5.48 cm.

Explanation / Answer

Use the law of conservation of momentum. M1V1 + M2V2 = (M1 + M2)V3 where M1 = mass of the bullet = V1 = initial speed of the bulle M2 = mass of the block V2 = initial speed of the block = 0 V3 = speed of the block & the embedded bullet calculate

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