A 1200-kg cannon suddenly fires a $\text { 100-kg }$ cannonball at $35 \mathrm {~m} / \mathrm { s }$ What is the recoil speed of the cannon? Assume that frictional forces are negligible and the cannon is fired horizontally.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the conservation of momentum, the momentum before firing is zero. After firing, the momentum of the cannon and the cannonball must be equal and opposite. Thus, $1200 \, \text{kg} \times v = 100 \, \text{kg} \times 35 \, \text{m/s}$. Solving for $v$, the recoil speed of the cannon is $2.9 \, \text{m/s}$.

A 1200-Kg Cannon Suddenly Fires A 100-kg \text { 100-kg } 100-kg Cannonball At

A 1200-Kg Cannon Suddenly Fires A $\text { 100-kg }$ Cannonball At