A ball with a mass of 33 kg kg and velocity of 1 1 ms^-1ms1 collides with a second ball with a mass of 55 kgkg and velocity of - 88 ms^-1ms1. If 25%25% of the kinetic energy is lost, what are the final velocities of the balls?

1 Answer
Apr 30, 2016

The equations yield two sets of answers:

v_1=-0.8v1=0.8 ms^-1ms1 and v_2=-6.92v2=6.92 ms^-1ms1

OR

v_1=-8.46v1=8.46 ms^-1ms1 and v_2=-2.32v2=2.32 ms^-1ms1

Explanation:

Momentum is conserved in all collisions. In this instance, kinetic energy is not conserved: 25% is lost and 75% remains.

The initial momentum is given by:

p=m_1v_1+m_2v_2=3*1+5*(-8)p=m1v1+m2v2=31+5(8)
=3-40=-37=340=37 kgms^-1kgms1

The final momentum will be the same as the initial momentum.

(if we define 'to the right' as the positive direction, the net momentum of the system is to the left)

The initial kinetic energy is given by:

E_k=1/2m_1v_1^2+1/2m_2v_2^2=1/2*3*1^2+1/2*5*(-8)^2Ek=12m1v21+12m2v22=12312+125(8)2
=3/2+160=161.5=32+160=161.5 JJ

The final kinetic energy will be 75% of the initial kinetic energy:

75/100*161.5=121.1375100161.5=121.13 JJ

The expression for the final momentum is:

p=m_1v_1+m_2v_2=3*v_1+5*v_2=-37p=m1v1+m2v2=3v1+5v2=37 : call this Equation 1

The expression for the final kinetic energy is:

E_k=1/2m_1v_1^2+1/2m_2v_2^2=1/2*3*v_1^2+1/2*5*v_2^2Ek=12m1v21+12m2v22=123v21+125v22
3/2v_1^2+5/2v_2^2=121.1332v21+52v22=121.13 : call this Equation 2

We now have two equations in two unknowns, so we can solve the system.

Divide Equation 1 by 3 and rearrange to give:

v_1=-37/3-5/3v_2v1=37353v2

Substitute this value for v_1v1 into Equation 2:

3/2*(-37/3-5/3v_2)^2+5/2*v_2^2=121.1332(37353v2)2+52v22=121.13

3/2*(152.1+41.1v_2+2.78v_2^2)+5/2v_2^2=121.1332(152.1+41.1v2+2.78v22)+52v22=121.13

228.15+61.65v_2+4.17v_2^2+2.5v_2^2=121.13228.15+61.65v2+4.17v22+2.5v22=121.13

Rearranging:

6.67v_2^2+61.65v_2+107.2=06.67v22+61.65v2+107.2=0

We can solve this quadratic equation using the quadratic formula (or other methods):

v_2=(-61.65+-sqrt(61.65^2-4*6.67*107.2))/(2*6.67)v2=61.65±61.65246.67107.226.67
v_2= -6.92v2=6.92 or -2.322.32 ms^-1ms1

That is, the two possible solutions are that Ball 2, the 55 kgkg ball, travels to the left at either 6.936.93 ms^-1ms1 or at 2.322.32 ms^-1ms1. Remember that it was initially traveling to the left at 88 ms^-1ms1.

Substituting these values back into Equation 1, we find that 3*v_1+5*v_2=-373v1+5v2=37 which means v_1=-0.8v1=0.8 ms^-1ms1 (when v_2=-6.92v2=6.92 ms^-1ms1) or v_1=-8.46v1=8.46 ms^-1ms1 (when v_2=-2.32v2=2.32 ms^-1ms1).