Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A lead bullet at hits a steel plate at and stops. All its kinetic energy becomes its own internal energy. Lead has a specific heat of , melts at and has a latent heat of fusion of . Does the bullet melt? What fraction of it melts?
The first law: . is positive when heat goes into the gas; is positive when the gas does work on its surroundings, so work done on the gas is negative. For an ideal gas, means it gets warmer.
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Energy per kilogram. .
Step 2. Warming to the melting point. .
Step 3. What is left. , less than the needed to melt all of it.
Step 4. Fraction. .
Answer: Yes, partly: about of the bullet, or , melts.
Check. The mass cancels, so the answer is the same for any bullet.
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