A 27 g bullet traveling at 297 m/s is fired into a 0.468 kg wooden block anchored to a 100 N/m spring. How far is the spring compressed

Answer 1

(a) Use conservation of momentum to get the velocity of bullet&block (together) just before the block starts to move. Call that velocity V'

mV = (M+m)V'

(b) Use (1/2)(M+m)V'^2 = (1/2) k X^2
M = 0.468 kg
m = 0.027 kg
k = 100 N/m
(Energy is conserved as the spring is comoressed).

Solvee for X

Answer 2

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