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GK QUESTION#3000

Which situation illustrates conservation of total momentum when the external impulse on the selected system is negligible?

  1. AA ball accelerating down a frictionless slope
  2. BA car stopping due to frictional brakes
  3. CA gun recoiling backward when a bullet is firedCorrect answer
  4. DA satellite orbiting the Earth under gravity
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Answer

C. A gun recoiling backward when a bullet is fired

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Explanation

Over the short firing interval, if the external impulse on a gun–bullet system is negligible, total momentum is conserved. For a system initially at rest, the forward bullet momentum is balanced by the backward gun momentum. External forces change the momentum in the other examples.

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