What is the recoil velocity of the gun?

An artillery gun of mass 1500kg fires a shell of mass 10kg at a velocity of 400m/s. What is the recoil velocity of the gun?

1 Answer
Mar 13, 2017

#"The recoil velocity of the gun is "v_r=-2.67" "m/s#

Explanation:

#"given :"#
#m_g: " mass of gun ,"m_g=1500" "kg#
#v_g :" velocity of gun before the shell is fired ,"v_g=0#
#m_s: " mass of shell , "m_s=10" "kg#
#v_s: "velocity of shell ,"v_s=400" "m/s#
#v_r: "the recoil velocity of the gun , "v_r=?#

#"You can solve using the principle of conservation of momentum."#

#"you should calculate the total momentum before the shell is fired."#

#"let "vec P_b " be the total momentum before the shell is fired."#

#"As the velocity of gun before the shell is fired equals zero,"#
#"its momentum is zero"#

#P_g=0#

#"As the velocity of the shell before the shell is fired equals zero,"#
#"its momentum is zero"#

#P_s=0#

#"Therefore ;"#

#P_b=P_g+P_s=0+0=0#

#"............................................................"#

#"let "vec P_a " be the total momentum after the shell is fired" #

#P_g=m_g*v_r" gun's momentum after the shell is fired"#

#P_g=1500*v_r#

#P_s=m_s*v_s" the shell's momentum after "#

#P_s=10*400=4000" "kg*m/s#

#vec P_a=vec P_g+vec P_s#

#vec P_a=1500*v_r+4000#

#"..............................................."#

#"As the momentum is conserved, we can write in the fallowing"#

#"equation "#

#P_b=P_a#

#0=1500*v_r+4000#

#1500*v_r=-4000#

#15cancel(00)*v_r=-40cancel(00)#

#v_r=-40/15#

#v_r=-2.67 " "m/s#