Question

Two balls, each with a mass of 0.5 kg, collide on a pool table. Is the law of conservation of momentum satisfied in this collision? Explain why or why not.

a) Yes, the law of conservation of momentum is satisfied because the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision due to the absence of external forces.

b) No, the law of conservation of momentum is not satisfied because the total momentum before the collision is greater than the total momentum after the collision, indicating a loss of momentum in the system.

c) Yes, the law of conservation of momentum is satisfied because the total momentum before and after the collision remains constant, demonstrating that momentum is conserved in the system.

d) No, the law of conservation of momentum is not satisfied because the total momentum after the collision is greater than the total momentum before the collision, violating the principle of momentum conservation.

Answer 1

The law of conservation of momentum is satisfied in the collision between two balls of equal mass when there are no external forces acting on the system; the total momentum before and after the collision remains constant.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two balls, each with a mass of 0.5 kg, collide on a pool table, the law of conservation of momentum is indeed satisfied. The law states that in an isolated system, with no external forces acting, the total momentum before and after a collision remains constant. In the scenario described, assuming there are no external forces such as friction that would significantly alter the system, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. If the balls have an equal mass and approach each other with the same speed in opposite directions and then come to rest after the collision, the momentum for each ball individually as well as the total system's momentum is conserved.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

c. Yes, the law of conservation of momentum is satisfied because the total momentum before and after the collision remains constant, demonstrating that momentum is conserved in the system.