A 3.30-g bullet, traveling at a speed of 492 m/s, strikes the wooden block of a ballistic pendulum, such as that in Figure 7.14. The block has a mass of 232 g. (a) Find the speed of the bullet/block combination immediately after the collision. (b) How high does the combination rise above its initial position?

Answer 1

1) Use the law of conservation of momentum to get the bullet_block velocity after collision, Vfinal.
3.30*492 = Vfinal*(3.30 + 232)
2) Use the law of conservation of energy to calculate how far up the bullet and block rise, H
g H = Vfinal^2/2
3) Show your work if further assistance is required