Question

Two balls are moving as shown, collide, and stick together. Which direction will they go?

a) to the left
b) to the right
c) First to the right and then to the left
d) They won't move at all after the collision

Answer 1

After colliding and sticking together, the two balls will move to the right, in the +x-direction, with a velocity of 7 m/s, according to the conservation of momentum principle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question is related to the concept of conservation of momentum in an inelastic collision. When two balls collide and stick together, they will move in the direction of the combined momentum of both balls just before the collision. According to the provided information option c), states that after the collision, the two masses stick together and move 7 m/s in the +x-direction, suggesting that the balls will continue moving to the right, which is the +x-direction, after they stick together. This is in accordance with the principle of conservation of momentum where the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision, assuming no external forces are acting on the system.