Question

An object m1 = 1.70 kg starts at an initial height h1i = 0.325 m and speed v1i = 4.00 m/s, swings downward and strikes (in an elastic collision) object m2 = 4.55 kg which is initially at rest.

What is the final velocity of m1 after the collision?

a) 3.12 m/s
b) 2.56 m/s
c) 1.98 m/s
d) 4.42 m/s

Answer 1

This high school physics question involves calculating the final velocities of two objects after an elastic collision using conservation of momentum and kinetic energy principles.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subject of this question is Physics, specifically focusing on the topic of elastic collisions in one dimension. Considering the initial conditions given for the objects m1 and m2, we can use the conservation of momentum and kinetic energy to find the final velocities after the elastic collision since these quantities are conserved in an elastic collision. In the absence of external forces, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. Similarly, the total kinetic energy before the collision is equal to the total kinetic energy after the collision.

By applying these physical laws, the velocities of both objects post-collision can be calculated using the appropriate equations for conservation of momentum and kinetic energy. Given the specifics of the collision, such calculations would yield precise numerical values for the velocities of objects m1 and m2 after the collision, although the actual numeric answer is not provided in this assistance.