Question

An 85-kg clown is fired from rest out of a 480-kg cannon. If the clown's speed is 18 meters per second after the firing, then what is the recoil speed of the cannon?

Answer 1

Answer:

15.29m/s

Explanation:

Using the law of conservation of momentum

m1u1+m2u2 = (m1+m2)v

m1 is the mass of the clown = 85kg

u1 is the velocity of the clown = 0m/s (fired out from rest)

m2 is the mass of the cannon = 480kg

u2 is the velocity of the cannon = 18m/s

Let v me the recoil speed of the cannon

Substitute into the formula

85(0)+480(18) = (85+480)v

0+8640 = 565v

v = 8640/565

v = 15.29m/s

Hence the recoil speed of the cannon is 15.29m/s