A small pellet of mass 5.0 g is fired horizontally into a wooden pendulum bob of mass…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Work, Energy and Power · Work, Energy and Power
Problem
A small pellet of mass 5.0 g is fired horizontally into a wooden pendulum bob of mass 0.50 kg that is suspended from a 0.75 m long light string. The pellet embeds in the bob, and the combined system swings to a maximum angular displacement of 12° from the vertical before momentarily coming to rest.
Assume air resistance is negligible and the string remains taut throughout the motion.
(a) Determine the vertical height h gained by the center of mass of the bob–pellet system between the instant just after the collision and the highest point of the swing.
(b) Calculate the speed vf of the bob–pellet system immediately after the collision.
(c) Determine the initial speed v0 of the pellet just before impact.
(d) Calculate the percentage of the pellet’s initial kinetic energy that is converted to non-mechanical forms during the collision.