The ever-indefatigable Wile E. Coyote (SuperGenius) is back with yet another oh-

Question

The ever-indefatigable Wile E. Coyote (SuperGenius) is back with yet another oh-so-cunning plan to bag his quarry. He has armed himself with an Acme Shoulder-launched Multipurpose Anti-roadrunner Weapon (SMAW) loaded with an Acme Roadrunner Seeking Missile (RSM). Wile E. Coyote (SuperGenius) and all of his gear have a mass of 45.7 kg. As the Road Runner passes him, he fires the SMAW, only to realize that he is still wearing his Acme Rollerblades from a previous episode. As a result, he is able to recoil freely from the missile launch along the flat canyon floor without regard to friction. If the RSM is launched horizontally with a speed of 685m/s and Wile E. Coyote (SuperGenius) has a recoil speed of 168m/s, what is the mass of the RSM?

Explanation / Answer

Applying momentum conservation,

0 = (m1 x 685) - (m2 x 168)

m2 = 4.077 m1

and m1 + m2 = 45.7

m1 + 4.077m1 = 45.7

m1 = 9 kg

mass of RSm = 9 kg

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse T
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.