A shell explodes during flight into four unequal parts. Which quantity is conserved during the brief explosion?
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A shell explodes during flight into four unequal parts. Which quantity is conserved during the brief explosion?

G1 Physics · Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Principle: During a very brief explosion, external impulse is negligible; total momentum is conserved. Step 2 — Working: Internal explosive forces come in equal and opposite pairs. Step 3 — Working: Over the short explosion external impulse is negligible, so total vector linear momentum is conserved, although KE rises due to released chemical energy. Correct answer: B — Momentum.