Question

A 0.157 kg glider is moving to the right on a frictionless, horizontal air track with a speed of 0.770 m/s . it has a head-on collision with a 0.307 kg glider that is moving to the left with a speed of 2.11 m/s . suppose the collision is elastic.

Answer 1

In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. The final velocities of the gliders are -1.095 m/s and -0.372 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. The momentum of an object is given by the product of its mass and velocity. To solve this problem, we can use the law of conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

To find the final velocities of the gliders, we can set up the following equation:

(mass of first glider) * (initial velocity of first glider) + (mass of second glider) * (initial velocity of second glider) = (mass of first glider) * (final velocity of first glider) + (mass of second glider) * (final velocity of second glider)

Plugging in the given values:

(0.157 kg) * (0.770 m/s) + (0.307 kg) * (-2.11 m/s) = (0.157 kg) * (final velocity of first glider) + (0.307 kg) * (final velocity of second glider)

Solving for the final velocities, we get:

final velocity of first glider = -1.095 m/s

final velocity of second glider = -0.372 m/s