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Balls Colliding Momentum Problem?
Hey.
I need to do this homework problem, and I'm having some trouble answering it. Can you guys help me?
The question reads: "If the balls collide at the center and stick together what will the new balls speed and direction be?" (look at picture by copying and pasting the link).
Please explain thoroughly so I can get it also. If possible, can you work it out on paper and attach the link to it?
Thank you so much.
1 Answer
- Gary HLv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
I did not look at the picture...
You assume conservation of energy so the kinetic energy you start with is the kinetic energy you end up with. You also have to assume that the balls are perfectly elastic so no energy is lost in deformation (if a ball is soft modeling clay, it won't bounce at all, all it's kinetic energy will be consumed by the deforming clay). Since it says these two balls stick together, they become one object and that object has a mass = the mass of both balls together.
If both balls weighed the same and were moving directly towards each other at exactly the same speed, the kinetic energy in one direction (call it +) and the kinetic energy in the opposite direction (call it -) would be exactly equal so, when they hit and stick to each other, the total kinetic energy is zero.
