Question

An ice pick of mass 7.5 kg moving with a speed of 18 m/s to the right collides with a 2.5 kg piece of ice moving with a speed of 4.2 m/s to the right. The collision is elastic, and the ice moves to the right with a speed of 24.9 m/s after the collision. What is the speed and direction of the ice pick after the collision?

A) 3.0 m/s to the left
B) 6.0 m/s to the left
C) 9.0 m/s to the left
D) 12.0 m/s to the left

Answer 1

Using the principle of conservation of momentum, we can determine the speed and direction of the ice pick after the collision. The ice pick will be moving with a speed of 6.0 m/s to the left.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the speed and direction of the ice pick after the collision, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum. Since the collision is elastic, the total momentum before the collision will be equal to the total momentum after the collision.

Before the collision, the total momentum of the system is (mass of ice pick * velocity of ice pick) + (mass of ice piece * velocity of ice piece).

After the collision, the total momentum of the system is (mass of ice pick * velocity of ice pick after collision) + (mass of ice piece * velocity of ice piece after collision).

Using the given information, we can set up the equations and solve for the velocity of the ice pick after the collision. The answer is B) 6.0 m/s to the left.