Question

Two hockey players approach each other head on, each traveling at the same speed vi. They collide and get tangled together, falling down and moving off at a speed vi/5. What is the ratio of their masses?

a) ( frac{1}{25} )
b) ( frac{1}{5} )
c) ( frac{1}{3} )
d) ( frac{1}{4} )

Answer 1

The question about the ratio of the masses of two colliding hockey players contains a scenario where momentum conservation appears to be violated. When two hockey players collide and get tangled together, their ratio of masses is 4:1. Option d is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two hockey players collide and get tangled together, the law of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

In this case, both players are traveling at the same speed, so their initial momenta are equal and in opposite directions. After the collision, they move together at a speed of vi/5. Let's assume the masses of the players are m1 and m2.

Before the collision: momentum of player 1 = m1 * vi and momentum of player 2 = m2 * (-vi)

After the collision: momentum of both players = (m1 + m2) * (vi/5)

According to the law of conservation of momentum: m1 * vi + m2 * (-vi) = (m1 + m2) * (vi/5)

Canceling out the 'vi' terms and simplifying, we get: m1 + m2 = m1/5 + m2/5

Combining like terms, we can rearrange the equation to solve for the mass ratio: m1/m2 = 4/1

Therefore, the ratio of their masses is 4:1. So, the correct option is d) (1/4).