Question

How does the mass of the object at rest (box or cup) affect how far it travels when hit by the metal ball?

Answer 1

This is a Conservation of Momentum Problem

Explanation:

Momentum is conserved in both elastic and inelastic collisions. Momentum is defined as `P=m\Deltav` , so mass is involved.

Then, if it is an elastic collision, the original momentum is what makes the object at rest move.

If it's an inelastic collision, the two objects will stick together, so then the total mass is `m_1+m_2`