A gun is made of a super-low-weight but strong material. The bullet for the gun is more massive than the gun itself. For such a gun
A) recoil problems would be lessened.
B) the gun, if unsupported, would have a recoil velocity higher than the bullet velocity.
C) conservation of momentum is not satisfied.
D) the bullet would go faster with less powder.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conservation of momentum principle dictates that the momentum of the system (gun + bullet) before firing is equal to the momentum of the system after firing. Since momentum is the product of mass and velocity, a lighter gun (with less mass) recoiling with a heavier bullet means the gun must have a higher recoil velocity to conserve momentum, assuming the gun is unsupported and free to move.

A Gun Is Made of a Super-Low-Weight but Strong Material