Question

You are playing pool, and you hit the 8-ball (0.15 kg) with the cue ball (0.26 kg). The cue ball is going 11 m/s, and the 8-ball is stationary. Afterward the collision, the cue is going 4 m/s. What is the momentum of the cue ball before the collision?

a) 1.04 kg m/s
b) 0.039 kg m/s
c) 2.86 kg m/s
d) 1.65 kg m/s

Answer 1

The momentum of the cue ball before the collision is 2.86 kg m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the momentum of the cue ball before the collision, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

The momentum of an object is defined as the product of its mass and velocity. We know the mass of the cue ball (0.26 kg) and its initial velocity (11 m/s). We can calculate its initial momentum using the formula:

Initial momentum = mass × velocity

Initial momentum = 0.26 kg × 11 m/s = 2.86 kg m/s

Therefore, the momentum of the cue ball before the collision is 2.86 kg m/s.