Question

when an explosive shell travelling in a parabolic path under the effect of gravity explodes, the centre of mass of the fragments will move -

Answer 1

Dear Student,

When an explosive shell travelling in a parabolic path under the effect of gravity explodes, the centre of mass of the fragments will move along the original parabolic path.

$$\begin{gathered} \mathrm{When}\mathrm{no}\mathrm{external}\mathrm{force}\mathrm{acts}\mathrm{on}\mathrm{a}\mathrm{system},\mathrm{the}\mathrm{velocity}\mathrm{of}\mathrm{the}\mathrm{centre}\mathrm{of}\mathrm{mass}\mathrm{of}\mathrm{the} \\ \mathrm{system}\mathrm{remains}\mathrm{constant}. \\ \mathrm{M}\overrightarrow{{\mathrm{\alpha }}_{\mathrm{CM}}}=\overrightarrow{{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{ext}}} \\ \mathrm{when},\overrightarrow{{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{ext}}}=0 \\ \overrightarrow{{\mathrm{\alpha }}_{\mathrm{CM}}}=0 \\ \mathrm{Therefore},{\mathrm{v}}_{\mathrm{CM}}=\mathrm{constant} \end{gathered}$$