A bullet is fired into a wall and comes to rest. Considering only the bullet as the system we can say that
A) the total kinetic energy is conserved.
B) the momentum is conserved.
C) neither total kinetic energy nor momentum is conserved.
D) both total kinetic energy and momentum are conserved.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total kinetic energy is not conserved because it is converted into other forms of energy (such as heat and sound) when the bullet stops. Momentum is not conserved for the bullet alone because external forces (from the wall) act on it, bringing it to a stop.

A Bullet Is Fired into a Wall and Comes to Rest