Question

The cue ball strikes a the 8 ball. The two balls have the same mass. Which of the following is true.

a.
The amount the cue ball slows down is equal to the amount the 8 ball speeds up.
b.
The 8 ball will speed up more than the cue ball slows down.
c.
The cue ball will slow down more than the 8 ball speeds up.

Answer 1

Answer: A. The amount the cue ball slows down is equal to the amount the 8 ball speeds up. ✅

Step-by-step explanation:

This is true due to the law of conservation of momentum. In an isolated system, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. Since the two balls have the same mass, the amount of momentum lost by the cue ball will be equal to the amount of momentum gained by the 8 ball. ✅