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title: "A projectile is moving through the air along a parabolic path when it suddenly explodes into several fragments. Air resistance is negligible. Which of the following correctly describes the velocity of the center of mass of the fragments immediately after the explosion compared to the velocity of the projectile immediately before the explosion, and provides the correct reasoning?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/109330/"
date_modified: "2026-03-21T23:30:26+00:00"
---

# A projectile is moving through the air along a parabolic path when it suddenly explodes into several fragments. Air resistance is negligible. Which of the following correctly describes the velocity of the center of mass of the fragments immediately after the explosion compared to the velocity of the projectile immediately before the explosion, and provides the correct reasoning?

A projectile is moving through the air along a parabolic path when it suddenly explodes into several fragments. Air resistance is negligible. Which of the following correctly describes the velocity of the center of mass of the fragments immediately after the explosion compared to the velocity of the projectile immediately before the explosion, and provides the correct reasoning?

- **A.** The velocity of the center of mass stays the same because the forces of the explosion are internal to the system.
- **B.** The velocity of the center of mass increases because the explosion adds kinetic energy to the system.
- **C.** The velocity of the center of mass decreases because the total mass is now distributed among multiple fragments.
- **D.** The velocity of the center of mass becomes zero because the fragments move in opposite directions to conserve momentum.

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/109330/*