Question

An air hockey puck of mass 0.45 kg is traveling at 3.6 m/s in a direction 30o North of East when it encounters another puck of mass 0.38 kg traveling 40o North of West at 3 m/s. The pucks were recently handled by my children so now they are sticky and collide inelastically. Find the magnitude of their velocity (in m/s) after the collision.

Answer 1

To find the magnitude of the velocity of the pucks after the collision, we can use the principles of conservation of momentum and conservation of kinetic energy. Since the collision is inelastic, the two pucks will stick together after the collision.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the magnitude of the velocity of the pucks after the collision, we can use the principles of conservation of momentum and conservation of kinetic energy. Since the collision is inelastic, the two pucks will stick together after the collision.

Momentum Conservation:

1. Find the x and y components of momentum for each puck before the collision.
2. Use the law of conservation of momentum to calculate the total momentum in the x and y directions before the collision.
3. Assuming the pucks stick together after the collision, calculate the x and y components of the final momentum using the total mass of the system and the magnitude of the velocity of the system after the collision.
4. Combine the x and y components to find the magnitude of the velocity of the system after the collision.

Kinetic Energy Conservation:

1. Calculate the initial kinetic energy of the system using the masses and velocities of the two pucks before the collision.
2. Calculate the final kinetic energy of the system using the mass and velocity of the system after the collision.
3. Since the collision is inelastic, the final kinetic energy will be less than the initial kinetic energy. Find the difference.

Using these calculations, you can determine the magnitude of the velocity of the pucks after the collision.