Physics 9702 · AS & A Level · Linear momentum and its conservation

Linear momentum and its conservation — practice question

The diagram depicts a ‘ballistic pendulum’. A pellet of mass $m$ moving with speed $u$ strikes a block of mass $M$ that is initially at rest. The pellet becomes lodged in the block and makes the block move with speed $v$ immediately after the collision. If a pellet of mass $2m$, moving with speed $2u$, strikes a block of mass $2M$, what is the speed of the block immediately after the collision? (Ignore the slight increase in the mass of the block as the pellet’s mass is added during the collision.)

  • A$v$
  • B$v\sqrt{2}$
  • C$2v$
  • D$4v$

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