A ball with a mass of 3 kg is rolling at 16 m/s and elastically collides with a resting ball with a mass of 1 kg. What are the post-collision velocities of the balls?

1 Answer
May 21, 2016

vec v_1^'=24-16=8" "m/s

vec v_2^'=24" "m/s

Explanation:

vec P_1=m_1*vec v_1" momentum of " m_1" before collision"

vec P_2=m_2*v_2" momentum of " m_2 " before collision"

vec Sigma P_b=vec P_1+vec P_2" total momentum before collision"

Sigma vec P_b=m_1*vec v_1+m_2*vec v_2

Sigma vec P_b=3.16+1*0=48 " "kg*m/s

"post collision velocities :"

vec v_1^'=(2*Sigma vec P_b)/(m_1+m_2)-vec v_1

vec v_1^'=(2*48)/(3+1)-16

vec v_1^'=96/4-16

vec v_1^'=24-16=8" "m/s

vec v_2^'=(2*Sigma vec P_b)/(m_1+m_2)-vec v_2

vec v_2^'=(2*48)/(3+1)-0

vec v_2^'=96/4

vec v_2^'=24" "m/s