A cannon is rigidly attached to a carriage, which can move along horizontal rails, but is connected to a post by a large spring, initially unstretched and with force constant k = 1.76 104 N/m, as in the figure below. The cannon fires a 200-kg projectile at a velocity of 150 m/s directed 45.0° above the horizontal.
(a) If the mass of the cannon and its carriage is 5,000 kg, find the recoil speed of the cannon.
m/s
(b) Determine the maximum extension of the spring.
m
(c) Find the maximum force the spring exerts on the carriage.
N
(d) Consider the system consisting of the cannon, the carriage, and the shell. Is the momentum of this system conserved during the firing? Yes No Why or why not?