Question

a moving system undergoes an explosion. what is correct for the momentum of the system and the kinetic energy of the system when they are compared immediately before and after the explosion?

momentum	kinetic energy
conserved	conserved
increased	conserved
increased	increased

Explanation:

Step1: Recall momentum - conservation principle

In an explosion, there is no external force acting on the system in the absence of non - conservative external forces. According to the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant. So, the momentum of the system before and after the explosion is conserved.

Step2: Analyze kinetic - energy change

During an explosion, internal chemical or other forms of energy are converted into kinetic energy of the fragments. So, the total kinetic energy of the system increases.

Answer:

A. conserved, increased