Question

Two metal spheres are suspended on wires so that they hang next to each other, just touching. Sphere x is raised to a certain height and released. Without friction or air resistance, what would be the expected reaction of sphere y?

1) Swing out in the opposite direction
2) Remain stationary
3) Move towards sphere x
4) Fall straight down

Answer 1

Sphere y is expected to swing out in the opposite direction due to the conservation of momentum, with the assumption that the collision is perfectly elastic and there are no other forces involved.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering two metal spheres hanging next to each other and touching, if sphere x is raised and released, without any friction or air resistance, the expected reaction of sphere y would be to swing out in the opposite direction. This is due to the conservation of momentum principle, wherein the momentum transferred from sphere x at the moment of collision would cause sphere y to move in the opposite direction, assuming that the collision is elastic and there are no other forces acting on the spheres such as electrostatic forces (which are not mentioned in the scenario).