Question

A shell of mass 0.020 kg is fired by a gun of mass 100 kg. If the muzzle speed of the shell is 80 m/s, then what is the recoil speed of the gun?

Answer 1

Given; Mass of the gun M = 100 kg; mass of shell m = 0.02 kg; speed of the shell v = 80 m/ s; speed of the gun v = ?
Applying the law of conservation of momentum,
Total momentum after fire = Total momentum before fire