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Object 1 has a velocity of 3m/s and a mass of 5kg. Object 2 also has a mass of 5kg but isn't moving. Object 1 collides with Object 2 and they move off together. Work out their speed using the principle of conservation of momentum.

A. 1.5 m/s
B. 3.0 m/s
C. 4.5 m/s
D. 6.0 m/s

1 Answer

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Final answer:

By applying the principle of conservation of momentum, the velocity of the two objects after the collision can be found. The total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. By using the given mass and velocity values of the objects, their velocity after the collision can be calculated to be 1.5 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to find the velocity of the two objects after the collision, we can apply the principle of conservation of momentum. Momentum is defined as the product of an object's mass and velocity. According to the principle of conservation of momentum, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

Let's calculate the total momentum before the collision:

Momentum of Object 1 = mass of Object 1 * velocity of Object 1 = 5 kg * 3 m/s = 15 kg*m/s

Momentum of Object 2 = mass of Object 2 * velocity of Object 2 = 5 kg * 0 m/s = 0 kg*m/s

The total momentum before the collision is 15 kg*m/s + 0 kg*m/s = 15 kg*m/s.

Since the two objects move off together after the collision, their velocities will be the same. Let's denote this velocity as v:

Momentum after the collision = (mass of Object 1 + mass of Object 2) * velocity after the collision

Since object 1 and object 2 have the same mass, the momentum after the collision can be written as:

15 kg*m/s + 0 kg*m/s = (5 kg + 5 kg) * v

Simplifying this equation, we get:

15 kg*m/s = 10 kg * v

Divide both sides by 10 kg to solve for v:

v = 15 kg*m/s / 10 kg = 1.5 m/s

Therefore, the velocity of the two objects after the collision is 1.5 m/s.

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