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A 75.0-kg fullback running east with a speed of 4.00 m/s is tackled by a 91.0-kg opponent running north with a speed of 3.00 m/s. What is the direction they are moving after the totally inelastic collision (a perfect tackle)?

User Amy Obrian
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Final answer:

In an inelastic collision, two bodies stick together after the collision and move as one mass. The direction they are moving after the collision is zero.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an inelastic collision, two bodies stick together after the collision and move as one mass. To solve this problem, we can use the law of conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

To find the direction they are moving after the collision, we can calculate the momentum of each object before the collision and add them together. The total momentum after the collision will be the same as the total momentum before the collision.

Using the given information, we can calculate the total momentum before the collision: (75.0 kg * 4.00 m/s) + (91.0 kg * 3.00 m/s). The total momentum after the collision will be zero since the two objects stick together. Therefore, the direction they are moving after the collision is zero.

User Josh Brobst
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