Bullet-Ball Collision and Rolling Motion · CAP 2017 #21
Physics · mechanics
Problem
A solid ball of radius R has a mass of 2 kg and is initially stationary on a flat surface. It is then hit by a 5 g bullet initially traveling at 1000 m/s. In a one-in-a-million shot, the bullet hits the ball perfectly head-on and sticks inside it. Due to the high friction with the surface the ball eventually reaches the state of rolling with no slipping. What is the final speed of the ball at this state? (The moment of inertia of a solid sphere is I=52mR2)
a) 0 m/s
b) 0.5 m/s
c) 0.714 m/s
d) 1.79 m/s
e) 2.5 m/s