Momentum Problem involving projectile.

[fjyuirt]

1.

A 5.6 g experimental dart is fired into a block
of wood with a mass of 24.3 g. The wood
block is initially at rest on a 2.5 m tall post.
After the collision, the wood block and dart
land 2.7 m from the base of the post.
Find the initial speed of the dart. Answer
in units of m/s.


2.
Equations I used were: delta Y equation, Velocity equation, and the momentum formula.



3.
I solved for time and got .714 seconds. Then I found Velocity=3.78. Then I get lost and don't know what to do next.

 

[quantumdude]

It would be a lot easier for us to show you what to do next if you post what you did first. That way we don't have to solve the problem from scratch to see if your numbers are correct.

 

[nlightner]

Great job using equations to solve this momentum problem! To continue, you can use the momentum formula, p = mv, to find the initial momentum of the dart. Then, use the velocity equation, v = d/t, to solve for the initial velocity of the dart. Substituting the known values into these equations, you should be able to find the initial velocity of the dart. Keep in mind that the units for momentum are kg*m/s, so you may need to convert your mass and velocity to the correct units. Good luck!