Question Error Report

Thank you for reporting, we will resolve it shortly

Back to Question

Q. When a bullet is fired at a target, its velocity decreases by half after penetrating 30 cm into it. The additional thickness it will penetrate before coming to rest is

KEAMKEAM 2007Motion in a Straight Line

Solution:

Let the velocity of the bullet when it strikes the target is $v cms^{-1}$
After penetrating 30 cm, velocity becomes half ie.$\frac{v}{2}$
From equation $v^2 = u^2 + 2as$
hance $\left(\frac{v}{2}\right)^2=v^2+2a \times 30$
or $-60a=v^2-\frac{v^2}{4}$
or $-60a = \frac{3v^2}{4}$
$a=-\frac{v^2}{80}cms^{-2}$
Let the bullet further penetrates x cm before coming to rest, therefore
$v^{'2}=u^{'2}+2as'$
$0=\left(\frac{v}{2}\right)^2+2\left(-\frac{v^2}{80}\right)x$ $\frac{v^2x}{40}=\frac{v^2}{4}$
x = 10 cm