A pellet gun fires ten 3.00 g pellets per second with a speed of 840 m/s. The pellets are stopped by a rigid wall. What is the average force (in newtons) exerted by the pellets on the wall?
To find the average force exerted by the pellets on the wall, we can use the equation of Newton's second law of motion, which states that force is equal to the rate of change of momentum.
First, let's find the momentum of one pellet. The momentum (p) of an object is calculated by multiplying its mass (m) by its velocity (v):
p = m * v
Given that the mass of one pellet is 3.00 g (or 0.00300 kg) and its velocity is 840 m/s, we can substitute these values into the equation to find the momentum of one pellet:
p = 0.00300 kg * 840 m/s
Next, let's find the rate of change of momentum, which is equal to the change in momentum per unit time. Since the pellets are fired at a rate of 10 pellets per second, the rate of change of momentum is simply the momentum of one pellet multiplied by the number of pellets fired per second:
Rate of change of momentum = p * 10
Now, we can calculate the average force exerted by the pellets on the wall. Force (F) is equal to the rate of change of momentum:
F = Rate of change of momentum
Substituting the value of the rate of change of momentum, we get:
F = p * 10
Now, let's substitute the previously calculated value of p into the equation to find the average force:
F = (0.00300 kg * 840 m/s) * 10
By simplifying the equation:
F = 25.20 N
Therefore, the average force exerted by the pellets on the wall is approximately 25.20 newtons.