Final answer:
Whether Glider 1 stops when colliding with Glider 2 of the same mass depends on the nature of the collision and the initial conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Glider 1 will stop (v1 = 0) if both gliders have the same mass (m1, m2) can be true or false depending on the type of collision they are involved in. In the case of an elastic collision, if both gliders have the same mass and one is stationary before the collision while the other is moving, they will exchange velocities. The stationary glider will move with the speed of the initially moving glider, and the initially moving glider will come to a stop.
However, if the collision is inelastic and the gliders stick together, they will both move with a common velocity after the collision, which will be different from zero if any of the gliders had an initial velocity.
Considering conservation of momentum, we can apply it to predict the final velocities of the masses after the collision. For elastic collisions, the two objects will exchange velocities due to the conservation of momentum and kinetic energy. For inelastic collisions, where the gliders stick together, the combined mass will move with a velocity that can be calculated using the conservation of momentum but will not be zero unless the system had no initial momentum.
According to Newton's third law, for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction; therefore, if no external forces act on the system of two gliders, the total momentum should be conserved during the collision. As a result, Glider 1 won't necessarily stop just because the masses are equal; it depends on the velocities of gliders before the collision and the nature of the collision.