Three blocks (1,2,3) of mass 3.00 kg, 2.00 kg, 1.00 kg sit linearly 10.0 cm apart from each other on a frictionless surface. A 25 g bullet is shot at the first block, it travels through the first block, and embeds itself into the second block (without falling over) which then collides into the third block.
a. Assuming the final collision is elastic, and the third block has a final velocity of 5.00 m/s, what is the velocity of block 2 just before it collides into block 3?
b. What is the velocity of the bullet before it embeds itself into block 2?
c. Assuming the bullet slowed down by only 10% while it travelled through block 1, what was the speed of block 1 after the bullet traveled through it?
d. What percent of the initial energy of the bullet was lost?