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a baseball pitcher throws a fast ball (mass 50g), which has been shot at him at

ID: 1554001 • Letter: A

Question

a baseball pitcher throws a fast ball (mass 50g), which has been shot at him at a speed of 40m/s by an angry fan. can the pitcher save himself by stopping the bullet with a fast-ball of 100mph, assuming a perfectly inelastic head-on collision, where the bullet gets stuck in the baseball? (1mile = 1600m) a baseball pitcher throws a fast ball (mass 50g), which has been shot at him at a speed of 40m/s by an angry fan. can the pitcher save himself by stopping the bullet with a fast-ball of 100mph, assuming a perfectly inelastic head-on collision, where the bullet gets stuck in the baseball? (1mile = 1600m) a baseball pitcher throws a fast ball (mass 50g), which has been shot at him at a speed of 40m/s by an angry fan. can the pitcher save himself by stopping the bullet with a fast-ball of 100mph, assuming a perfectly inelastic head-on collision, where the bullet gets stuck in the baseball? (1mile = 1600m)

Explanation / Answer

total momentum of pitch ball and bullet,

(taking away from him as +ve direction)


speed of ball = 100 x 1609 m / 3600s = 44.7 m/s
total momentum = of ball + of bullet

speed of ball and mass both are greater than bullet hence net momentum will be away from pitcher.

so yes, pitcher will be able to save himself.