Question

A clay ball with a mass of 0.48kg has an initial speed of 4.08m/s it strikes a 3.04kg clay ball at rest and the two balls stick together and remain stationary. What is the decrease in kinetic energy of the 0.48kg ball

Answer 1

Final velocity = 0, thus final kinetic energy is 0
Initial kinetic energy:
0.5mv²
= 0.5 x 0.48 x 4.08²
= 4.0 J
Decrease in kinetic energy = 4 - 0 = 4 Joules