A bullet with a mass of 20 g and a speed of 960 m/s strikes a block of wood of mass 4.5 kg resting on a horizontal surface. The bullet gets embedded in the block. The speed of the block immediately after the collision is:________.
A) cannot be found because we don't know whether the surface is frictionless.
B) is 0.21 km/s.
C) is 65 m/s.
D) is 9.3 m/s.
E) None of these is correct

Using the law of conservation of momentum to solve the problem. According to the law, the sum of momentum of the bodies before collision is equal to the sum of the bodies after collision. The bodies move with the same velocity after collision.

Mathematically.

mu + MU = (m+M)v

m and M are the masses of the bullet and the block respectively

u and U are their respective velocities

v is their common velocity

from the question, the following parameters are given;

m = 20g = 0.02kg

u = 960m/s

M = 4.5kg

U =0m/s (block is at rest)

Substituting this values into the formula above to get v;

0.02(960)+4.5(0) = (0.02+4.5)v

19.2+0 = 4.52v

4.52v = 19.2

Dividing both sides by 4.52

4.52v/4.52 = 19.2/4.52

v = 4.25m/s

Since they have the same velocity after collision, then the speed of the block immediately after the collision is also 4.25m/s