When a cannon fires a cannonball, the cannon will recoil backward because the:

A) energy of the cannonball and cannon is conserved.

B) energy of the cannon is greater than the energy of the cannonball.

C) momentum of the cannonball and cannon is conserved.

D) momentum of the cannon is greater than the energy of the cannonball.

Question

Dante Rosario

Physics

23 May, 06:14

When a cannon fires a cannonball, the cannon will recoil backward because the:

A) energy of the cannonball and cannon is conserved.

B) energy of the cannon is greater than the energy of the cannonball.

C) momentum of the cannonball and cannon is conserved.

D) momentum of the cannon is greater than the energy of the cannonball.

+1

Answers (1)

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Christopher Hutchinson · Answer 1

C) total linear momentum of the ball and cannon is conserved.

Basically it happens that in the beginning before there is a momentum acting on the two bodies, these are a unique system. Here the total momentum of the System is 0. However, when the positive momentum of the cannonball is added, the system will be immediately affected by a negative momentum which will pull back the cannon. Could this be extrapolated as a condition of Newton's third law.