Question

You have two boxes, each with a mass of 1kg, resting on a frictionless floor. you give one a quick push so it has an initial velocity of 0.4 m/s. this box then collides with the second and they both continue on together. can you assume that momentum is conserved in this system?

Answer 1

Momentum is conserved in the system involving the two boxes that collide with each other.

Step-by-step explanation:

Momentum is conserved in the system involving the two boxes. Momentum is the product of an object's mass and its velocity. In the given scenario, one of the boxes is given a quick push, resulting in an initial velocity of 0.4 m/s. When the two boxes collide, they both continue on together, implying that the final velocity of the combined system is the same as the initial velocity of the first box.

Momentum before the collision = momentum after the collision

(1 kg × 0.4 m/s) + (1 kg × 0 m/s) = (2 kg × v), where v is the final velocity of the combined system

Simplifying the equation, we have: 0.4 kg·m/s = 2 kg·v

Dividing both sides of the equation by 2 kg, we find:

v = 0.2 m/s

Since momentum is conserved in the system, we can assume that the total momentum both before and after the collision is the same, making momentum a conserved quantity in this system.