A bullet is moving at a speed of 367 m/s when it embeds into a lump of moist clay. The bullet penetrates for a distance of 0.0621 m. Determine the acceleration of the bullet while moving into the clay. (Assume a uniform acceleration.)

Answer 1

To find the acceleration of the bullet while moving into the clay, we can use the equation:

v^2 = u^2 + 2as

where:
v = final velocity (0 m/s, since the bullet comes to a stop)
u = initial velocity (367 m/s)
a = acceleration
s = distance (0.0621 m)

Plugging the values into the equation:

0 = (367)^2 + 2a(0.0621)

Rearranging the equation to solve for acceleration:

-134489 = 0.1242a

a = -134489 / 0.1242
a = -1083796.1 m/s^2

Therefore, the acceleration of the bullet while moving into the clay is -1083796.1 m/s^2. The negative sign indicates that the acceleration is in the opposite direction of the initial velocity of the bullet.