Question

A 2 kg ball of putty moving to the right at 3 m/s has a perfectly inelastic, head-on collision with a 1 kg ball of putty moving at 2 m/s. What is the final magnitude and direction (left or right) of the velocity of the balls after the collision?

Answer 1

`V=1.33m/s` to the right

Step-by-step explanation:

The balls collide in a completely inelastic collision, in other words they have the same velocity after the collision, this velocity has a magnitude V.

We need to use the conservation of momentum Law, the total momentum is the same before and after the collision.

In the axis X:

`m_(1)*v_(o1)-m_(2)*v_(o2)=(m_(1)+m_(2))V` (1)

`V=(m_(1)*v_(o1)-m_(2)*v_(o2))/(m_(1)+m_(2))=(2*3-1*2)/(2+1)=1.33m/s`