A 6.10g bullet traveling at 480m/s embeds itself in a 1.65kg wooden block at rest on a frictionless surface. The block is attached to a spring with k = 88.0 N/m. Find the amplitude of the subsequent simple harmonic motion.

Question

A 6.10g  bullet traveling at 480m/s  embeds itself in a 1.65kg  wooden block at rest on a frictionless surface. The block is attached to a spring with k  = 88.0 N/m. Find the amplitude of the subsequent simple harmonic motion.

anonymous · Answer

Use the conservation of momentum to find the initial velocity of the block and bullet.
Then:
Work = -1/2kx^2 = the change in kinetic energy