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A missile of mass 1 kg is launched with velocity $200$ m/s towards a tank of mass 50 tons moving towards it with velocity 20 m/s .

Find the momentum of the missile with respect to the tank .

My turn :-

$H(\text{missile w.r.t tank}) = H(\text{missile}) -H(\text{tank}) = 1\times 200 + 50000\times 20 = 10002000 \mathrm{kg} \cdot\mathrm m/\mathrm s$

Is the solution correct ?

Alain Remillard
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Hussien Mohamed
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  • "Relative momentum" is a poor phrase. Much better is "momentum of the missile as judged in the inertial frame of the tank." – David G. Stork Mar 24 '20 at 22:45

1 Answers1

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In the inertial frame of the tank, the missile is traveling at $220\ m/s$ and has mass $1\ kg$, so its momentum (as seen by the tank) is $220\ kg$-$m/s$.

The tank is not at rest, of course, and that is why the relative velocity is $220\ m/s$.

David G. Stork
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  • But the tank is not at rest , it is moving towards the missile , is not that affect the momentum of the missile as seen from the tank ? @David G.Stork – Hussien Mohamed Mar 25 '20 at 11:35