Final answer:
The velocity of the second clay ball before the collision was -71.16 m/s. The velocity of mass B after the collision was -40.38 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
For question 1:
To find the velocity of the second clay ball before the collision, we can use the law of conservation of momentum. The total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. We can express this as:
Mass1 * Velocity1 + Mass2 * Velocity2 = (Mass1 + Mass2) * Velocity after
Plugging in the values, we get:
(42.9 kg * 58 m/s) + (99.4 kg * Velocity2) = (42.9 kg + 99.4 kg) * -38.6 m/s
Solving for Velocity2, we find that the velocity of the second clay ball before the collision was -71.16 m/s.
For question 2:
We can use the same approach as in question 1 to find the velocity of mass B after the collision. The total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision, and we can express this as:
Mass A * Velocity A + Mass B * Velocity B = (Mass A + Mass B) * Velocity after
Plugging in the values, we get:
(34.2 kg * 65.5 m/s) + (97.9 kg * -29.7 m/s) = (34.2 kg + 97.9 kg) * -75.61 m/s
Solving for Velocity B, we find that the velocity of mass B after the collision was -40.38 m/s.