A small glider is coasting horizontally when suddenly a very heavy piece of cargo falls out of the bottom of the plane.You can neglect air resistance.Just after the cargo has fallen out
A) the plane speeds up and the cargo slows down.
B) the plane speeds up but the cargo does not change speed.
C) neither the cargo nor the plane change speed.
D) the cargo slows down but the plane does not change speed.
E) both the cargo and the plane speed up.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the law of conservation of momentum, the momentum of the system (i.e., plane and cargo) remains constant in the absence of external forces. As there is no external force acting on the system, the momentum remains constant, and hence neither the cargo nor the plane changes speed. Therefore, choice C is the correct answer.

A Small Glider Is Coasting Horizontally When Suddenly a Very