PhysicsLAB Amusing Problems
The Pepsi Challenge

Printer Friendly Version
As a consultant to the soft-drink industry, Dr. J is given the task of conducting the ultimate Pepsi taste test. This is Dr. J's tenth taste test, which puts him seven up on his nearest consultant, who had only done three. Of course Dr. J is very qualified, having been hooked on soft drinks (especially orange soda) since he was Nehi to a pop bottle. Dr. J mounts a rather large container of Pepsi on a ledge some 3 meters above the ground. A bullet of mass 5 grams is then fired into the container, thus killing the taste. Not only that, but the Pepsi falls through the bullet hole onto the ground below (causing the taste to go flat). The wall of the container is 2 cm thick. The velocity of the bullet changes from an initial value of 500 m/sec just before striking the container wall to 5 m/sec upon leaving the container wall and entering the Pepsi. It finally fizzles out at a point 25 cm from the container wall.
       
A. How much work does the container wall do on the bullet?

View Correct Answer
 
B How much work does the Pepsi do on the bullet?

View Correct Answer
 
C. At what velocity does the Pepsi hit the floor?

View Correct Answer



 
Related Documents




Walch Publishing
Copyright © 1985-2023
All rights reserved.
Used with
permission.
PhysicsLAB
HTML conversion
Copyright © 1998-2023
Catharine H. Colwell
All rights reserved.
Mainland High School
Daytona Beach, FL 32114