When a cannon fires a cannonball at a given speed, the smaller recoil speed of the cannon is due to different

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to Newton's Third Law, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When a cannon fires a cannonball, the cannonball exerts a force on the cannon, and the cannon exerts an equal and opposite force on the cannonball. The force on the cannonball causes it to accelerate and move forward, while the force on the cannon causes it to accelerate and move backward, which is the recoil. The momentum of the cannonball and the cannon must be conserved in this process. Since the cannonball has a much smaller mass than the cannon, the cannon experiences a much smaller change in velocity and, therefore, a smaller recoil speed. Thus, the mass of the cannon and the cannonball plays a crucial role in determining the recoil speed of the cannon.

When a Cannon Fires a Cannonball at a Given Speed