When a cannon shell explodes in mid

Engineering

Physics

Newtons Second Law of Motion

Collision

Momentum and Energy Conservation for System of Particles

Question

When a cannon shell explodes in mid - air,

the momentum of the system is conserved in all cases

the momentum of the system is conserved only if the shell was moving horizontally

the kinetic energy of the system either remains constant or decreases

the kinetic energy of the system always increases

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When a cannon shell explodes mid-air, it is an isolated system with no external forces. Momentum is always conserved in such systems regardless of direction. However, the explosion is an inelastic process where chemical energy converts to kinetic energy, increasing the total kinetic energy of the system.

Momentum conservation: $\sum_{} p_{i} = \sum_{} p_{f}$

Final Answer: the kinetic energy of the system always increases