**27. ssm A cannon of mass 5.80 x 103 kg is rigidly bolted to the earth so it can recoil only by a negligible amount. The cannon fires an 85.0-kg shell horizontally with an initial velocity of +551 m/s. Suppose the cannon is then unbolted from the earth, and no external force hinders its recoil. What would be the velocity of an identical shell fired by this loose cannon? (Hint: In both cases assume that the burning gunpowder imparts the same kinetic energy to the system.)

 

In first case the only kinetic energy of the system is the shell as the cannon is not allowed to move.

 

In second case we now have to conserve both momentum and divide kinetic energy between both cannon shell and cannon

 

 

 

 

 

Plug in the recoil velocity of cannon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This page last updated on January 11, 2020