momentum is conserved
the momentum of the bullet is equal to the momentum of the puck/gun
... but in the opposite direction
(mass bullet) * (speed bullet) = (mass puck/gun) * (speed puck/gun)
A miniature spring-loaded, radio-controlled gun is mounted on an air puck. The gun's bullet has a mass of 5.00 g, and the gun and puck have a combined mass of 120 g. With the system initially at rest, the radio controlled trigger releases the bullet causing the puck and empty gun to move with a speed of 0.500 m/s. What is the bullet's speed?
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12 J
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