A rifle recoils while firing a bullet. The speed of the rifle's recoil is small because the

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The rifle has much more mass than the bullet, which according to the principle of conservation of momentum, results in the rifle having a smaller recoil velocity. The momentum of the system (rifle plus bullet) is conserved, so the larger mass of the rifle means it moves back slower compared to the bullet's forward speed.

A Rifle Recoils While Firing a Bullet