Physics Mechanics question (10 points for best answer/explenation)?

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Patrick S

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A .05 kg bullet if fired horizontally into a 1.2 kg wooden clock resting on a horizontal surface. The coefficient of Kinetic friction between the block and the surface is .2. The bullet remains embedded in the block which slides .23 meters alone the surface before stopping. What was the initial speed of the bullet?

Answer is 229 m/s I'd love an explenation as to how, I keep getting speeds less than 1 fore some reason
 
ok heres how i' did it, but i don't get your answer. but i still think i'm right :S

1) find friction of surface acting against movement of clock
2) use this to find out initial speed
3) apply conservation of momentum to find inital speed of bullet

F=mu R

R of clock= 1.2g
f=0.2 x 1.2g= 0.24g

f=ma
0.24g= 1.2a
a= 0.2g

use constant acceleration formula. you now know...
a= -0.2g (against movement)
v=0 (stops)
s= 0.23

and you want u

so use v^2=u^2+2as
0=u^2 -0.9016
u=0.9495

inital speed of clock slipping

now conservation of mometum states:

m(1)u(1)+m(2)u(2)=m(1)v(1)+m(2)v(2)
but the bullet coalesces with clock so...

0.05u+ 0= 1.25 x 0.9495
0.05u=1.1869
u=23.738m/s

inital speed of bullet.

If you think i'm wrong fair enough, but looking at the question... i think that the clock would slide more than 0.23m if it was shot.

and theres another way of doing it...which should give the same answer...
if you find the inital speed of the clock= 0.9495m/s

then you can say that the kinetic energy of the bullet must be equal to:

Ke bullet= k.e clock + workdone against friction

1/2 mv^2 so...

0.025v^2=( 0.625x0.9495^2) + (0.24g x 0.23)

which gives v=6.647

i guess these are different becuase you don't have the info on the recoil speed of the gun and shooter but surprised that they are sooo different. infers theres extra factors not shown in the question... or that my maths is not up to scratch. one of the two.


well i tried mate. maybe the question is just wrong?
 
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