Final answer:
The total momentum of two 5 kg bodies approaching each other at 2 m/s each is 0 kg·m/s because their momenta in opposite directions cancel out. Other examples given include the momentum of a bowling ball and the final momentum of an object after an elastic collision.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the total momentum of two equal-mass objects approaching each other at the same speed. Since momentum is a vector quantity, directions matter. If one object has a momentum of 5 kg × 2 m/s in one direction, the other has the same magnitude but in the opposite direction. When they approach each other, their momenta cancel out, resulting in a total momentum of 0 kg·m/s for the system.
Practice Problems
- What is the momentum of a bowling ball with mass 5 kg and velocity 10 m/s? The momentum p is calculated as mass (m) times velocity (v), so p = 5 kg × 10 m/s, giving a momentum of 50 kg·m/s.
- For the elastic collision of two objects with initial momenta of 25 kg·m/s and 35 kg·m/s and final momentum of the first object being 10 kg·m/s, by conservation of momentum, the final momentum of the second object would be 50 kg·m/s (since the total momentum must remain 60 kg·m/s).