JEE Main 2021 · 22 July · evening · Single correct · +4 / −1

A bullet of '4 g' mass is fired from a gun of mass 4 kg. If the bullet moves with the muzzle speed of 50 ms⁻¹, the impulse imparted to the gun and velocity of recoil of gun are :

  1. (a) 0.2 kg ms⁻¹, 0.1 ms⁻¹
  2. (b) 0.4 kg ms⁻¹, 0.05 ms⁻¹
  3. (c) 0.2 kg ms⁻¹, 0.05 ms⁻¹
  4. (d) 0.4 kg ms⁻¹, 0.1 ms⁻¹
Answer and solution

Answer (c) 0.2 kg ms⁻¹, 0.05 ms⁻¹

Solution

Physics sir · 4 steps

Whatever momentum the bullet gets forward, the gun gets backward. Find that first, then divide by 4 kg.

  1. Momentum is conserved. Gun and bullet start at rest, so their total momentum is zero before and after firing. The gun must carry momentum equal and opposite to the bullet's.
  2. Bullet's momentum. Convert the mass first: 4 g = 0.004 kg. Then p = 0.004 × 50 = 0.2 kg m s⁻¹.
  3. Impulse on gun. Impulse is the change in momentum. The gun goes from 0 to 0.2 kg m s⁻¹ backward, so the impulse on it is 0.2 kg m s⁻¹.

    V_(gun) = (0.2 kg m s⁻¹)/(4 kg) = 0.05 m s⁻¹

  4. So. Impulse is 0.2 kg m s⁻¹ and the recoil speed is 0.05 m s⁻¹, which is option (c).

The idea to keep. In firing and explosion problems, the impulse on one part equals the momentum the other part gains. Divide that impulse by a body's mass to get its velocity.

Answer from the NTA final answer key. Solution by PrepWiser.

Study Centre of Mass & Linear Momentum

Asked about 50 times in JEE Main since 2020. This question is from 2021.