Final answer:
The question pertains to the conservation of momentum in Physics, where the final velocity of a kid and a skateboard after collision is to be calculated. It involves multiplying the masses of the kid and skateboard by their respective velocities to obtain initial momentum, and then using the conservation of momentum principle to find the final combined velocity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question involves calculating the final velocity of various systems after two objects collide or come into contact, which is a classic problem in conservation of momentum in Physics.
Example Problem:
An 83-pound kid running at a speed of 15 feet per second jumps onto a 3.5-pound skateboard rolling in the same direction at 4 feet per second. To find the final velocity of the kid and the skateboard, one would use the principle of conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant if no external forces are acting upon it.
The initial momentum of the kid is the product of his mass and his velocity, and similarly for the skateboard. After jumping, the kid and the skateboard will move together, and their combined mass will have a combined momentum that is equal to the sum of their initial momenta.
Calculation:
The initial momentum of the kid (pkid) is given by:
pkid = mass of kid x velocity of kid
The initial momentum of the skateboard (pskateboard) is given by:
pskateboard = mass of skateboard x velocity of skateboard
The final combined momentum (pfinal) is:
pfinal = pkid + pskateboard
To find the final velocity (vfinal), divide pfinal by the total mass (mass of kid + mass of skateboard).
vfinal = pfinal / (mass of kid + mass of skateboard)
By solving these equations, we would get the final velocity of the system post-collision.