Two spheres move along the same straight line on a frictionless surface

PHYSICS · Multi-part · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Linear Momentum · Linear Momentum

Problem

Two spheres move along the same straight line on a frictionless surface. Sphere P has mass

1\,\text{kg}

and moves at

10\,\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1}

to the right, while sphere Q has mass

2\,\text{kg}

and moves at

4\,\text{m}\,\text{s}^{-1}

to the left. The coefficient of restitution for their collision is

0.5

. (a) Find the speed and direction of each sphere immediately after collision. (b) Calculate the loss of kinetic energy produced in the collision.