Answer:
2.18 m/s
Step-by-step explanation:
To solve this problem, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum. This principle states that the total momentum of a closed system (in this case, the ice skater and the snowman) is conserved, or remains constant, before and after a collision.
We can represent the initial momentum of the ice skater as P1 = m1 * v1, where m1 is the mass of the ice skater (8 kg) and v1 is the initial velocity of the ice skater (3 m/s). Similarly, we can represent the initial momentum of the snowman as P2 = m2 * v2, where m2 is the mass of the snowman (3 kg) and v2 is the initial velocity of the snowman (0 m/s).
Since the total momentum of the system is conserved, we can represent the final momentum of the system as P1 + P2 = (m1 + m2) * vf, where vf is the final velocity of the system.
Substituting the values from the problem into this equation, we get:
P1 + P2 = (8 kg + 3 kg) * vf
(8 kg * 3 m/s) + (3 kg * 0 m/s) = (8 kg + 3 kg) * vf
24 kg * m/s + 0 kg * m/s = 11 kg * vf
24 kg * m/s = 11 kg * vf
vf = 24 kg * m/s / 11 kg
vf = 2.18 m/s
Therefore, the velocity of the snowman after the collision is 2.18 m/s.