> Well, OK.  How about "half the energy" goes into the excess
> lead, and (the equal and opposite) half goes into the board.
> The board goes flying off in the opposite direction, about
> 0.1 mm due to its relative mass... :)

It doesn't quite work that way either.  Since both masses receive the same
impulse and assuming they both start in the same intertial reference frame,
the velocity imparted on each will be inversely proportional to its mass.
Energy is proportional to the square of the velocity, so the kinetic energy
received by each mass is proportional to the inverse of the square of the
mass.  This means the vast majority of the energy will go into the snipped
wire like you said in the first place.  I wasn't objecting to that portion
of your statement.

I've had experience trying to teach basic physics to college freshmen and
have seen the general confusion, so I always try to respond whenever someone
plays fast and loose with things like energy, momentum, velocity, impulse,
etc.  These all have precise meanings.


********************************************************************
Olin Lathrop, embedded systems consultant in Littleton Massachusetts
(978) 742-9014, olin@embedinc.com, http://www.embedinc.com

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