PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Laws of Motion · Laws of Motion
Problem
Two identical steel balls P and Q, each of mass 0.20 kg, move along the same straight line on a smooth horizontal surface but in opposite directions. Ball P moves to the right with a speed of 8 m/s, while ball Q moves to the left with a speed of 6 m/s (take right as positive).
Answer the following:
(a) Find the magnitude and algebraic sign of the momentum of each ball.
(b) Determine the algebraic sum of their momenta.
(c) If the two balls exchanged their speeds while keeping their directions unchanged, explain qualitatively how (if at all) the answers to parts (a) and (b) would change.