Question

11. A 2 kg chunk of clay moving at 3 m/s collides with and sticks to a 10 kg bowling ball that is

initially at rest. What is the total momentum before the collision?_____
What will be the new MOMENTUM of the clay and bowling ball combination AFTER the collision? ____

Answer 1

The total momentum before the collision is 6 kg m/s (2 kg x 3 m/s).

The new momentum of the clay and bowling ball combination after the collision is 6 kg m/s (2 kg + 10 kg x 3 m/s / (2 kg + 10 kg) = 6 kg m/s). According to the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum of a closed system must remain constant, so the total momentum before and after the collision must be the same.