Two identical ice pucks collide on a frictionless horizontal surface
PHYSICS · Subjective · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
Two identical ice pucks collide on a frictionless horizontal surface. Puck A slides east at 2.0m/s toward puck B, which is initially at rest. After the collision, the two pucks move apart at right angles to each other. Explain why the vector sum of their momenta just after the collision must have the same magnitude and direction as the momentum of puck A just before the collision.