A mechanical paintball launcher fires a paint capsule towards a target marker on the horizontal ground.
The launch nozzle is at the same vertical height as the target marker. The target marker is at a horizontal distance of 45.0 m from the launcher. The capsule is launched with an initial velocity of 24 m s-1 at an angle of 35∘ 35^\circ\,35∘ to the horizontal.
Air resistance has a negligible effect on the motion of the capsule.
Describe how the kinetic energy of the capsule changes during its journey from when it is fired until it reaches its maximum height.
Show that the time taken for the capsule to reach its maximum height is approximately 1.4 s.
The capsule passes over and misses the target marker before hitting the ground. Calculate the horizontal distance, measured along the ground, by which the capsule misses the target marker.
The capsule is now fired horizontally at 24 m s-1 into a stationary target marker at very close range.
The capsule bursts on impact, and the paint sticks to the target. The collision is inelastic.
Explain what is meant by an inelastic collision.
The target marker is mounted on low-friction rails. The target has a much larger mass than the mass of the capsule.
Using the conservation of momentum, explain the velocity of the target marker immediately after the paint sticks to it.
