A particle A of mass is moving along the positive -axis with an unknown speed when it…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Linear Momentum · Linear Momentum
Problem
A particle A of mass 0.20kg is moving along the positive x-axis with an unknown speed u when it collides elastically with an identical particle B that is initially at rest at the origin. After the collision, particle A moves with a speed 2.60ms−1 at an angle of 30∘ above the x-axis, while particle B moves with a speed 1.50ms−1 at an angle of 60∘ below the x-axis. Solve the following parts.
(i) Write the separate component equations that relate the particle momenta before and after the collision.
(ii) Use these equations to find the initial speed u of particle A.
(iii) Show, by suitable calculation, that the total kinetic energy of the two particles is the same before and after the collision.