A projectile weighing 2 kg, flying at a speed of 300 m / s, hits a target with sand weighing 100 kg

A projectile weighing 2 kg, flying at a speed of 300 m / s, hits a target with sand weighing 100 kg and gets stuck in it. With what speed and in what direction the target will move after the projectile hit (the target is motionless).

Initial data: m1 (projectile mass) = 2 kg; V1 (projectile speed) = 300 m / s; m2 (mass of a stationary target with sand, V2 = 0 m / s) = 100 kg.

The speed of the target after the projectile hit is determined using the law of conservation of momentum: m1 * V1 = V1.2 * (m1 + m2) and V1.2 = m1 * V1 / (m1 + m2).

Calculation: V1.2 = 2 * 300 / (2 + 100) = 600/102 ≈ 5.88 m / s.

Answer: The target will move at a speed of 5.88 m / s in the direction of the velocity vector of the projectile.