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Conservation of Momentum:

Consider the same system as before: A hockey puck with a mass of 0.17 kg is traveling to the right along the ice at 15 m/s. It strikes a second hockey puck with a mass 0.11 kg. The first hockey puck comes to rest after the collision. If conservation of momentum holds, what is the total
final momentum of the system?

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The question addresses conservation of momentum in a collision between two hockey pucks. The total final momentum of the system is 2.55 kg·m/s, which is the product of the mass and initial velocity of the first puck (0.17 kg and 15 m/s).

Step-by-step explanation:

The question concerns the conservation of momentum in a scenario involving two hockey pucks on ice. When the first puck, with a mass of 0.17 kg and traveling at 15 m/s, collides with the second puck and comes to rest, the total momentum of the system must be conserved, given there is no net external force acting on the system. The total final momentum of the system is equal to the initial momentum of the first puck since momentum is conserved in an isolated system.

To calculate the total final momentum of the system, we use the formula:

Initial momentum = Final momentum

Which means:

Mass of first puck × Velocity of first puck = Mass of second puck × Final velocity of second puck

Multiplying the mass of the first puck (0.17 kg) by its velocity (15 m/s) gives the initial momentum:

0.17 kg × 15 m/s = 2.55 kg·m/s

This value is the total final momentum of the system since the first puck comes to rest after the collision.

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