A bullet strikes a block initially at rest on a smooth horizontal surface and becomes embedded within it. Which of the following quantities remains unchanged?

Step-by-step solution

The collision between the bullet and the block is perfectly inelastic. As the block starts moving after the collision, its velocity increases from zero. Thus, both the kinetic energy and the linear momentum of the block change. A portion of the initial kinetic energy of the bullet is dissipated as heat during the inelastic collision, which increases the temperature of the block. Since the block moves on a horizontal surface, its vertical height remains constant. Therefore, the gravitational potential energy of the