A bullet of mass 10 g moving horizontally with a velocity of 400 m s-1 strikes a wood block of mass 2 kg which is suspended by light inextensible string of length 5 m. As a result, the centre of gravity of the block is found to rise a vertical distance of 10 cm. The speed of the bullet after it emerges out horizontally from the block will be
- 100 m s-1
- 80 m s-1
- 120 m s-1
- 160 m s-1
Answer
(3) 120 m s-1
Solution
Speed of the block just after the bullet emerges (block rises h = 10 cm = 0.1 m):
V = 2gh = 2 10 0.1 = 2 1.4 m s-1
Conservation of linear momentum (horizontal):
m1u = m1v + m2V
0.01 400 = 0.01 v + 2 1.4
4 = 0.01 v + 2.8
0.01 v = 1.2
v = 120 m s-1
Answer: (3)