PHYSICS · Multi-part · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
A 0.30kg clay blob slides at 4.0m⋅s−1 along a horizontal, nearly frictionless table and collides head-on with a 0.50kg wooden block that is initially at rest. The clay sticks to the block, and the combined object continues to slide without external friction.
(a) Calculate the speed of the clay–block combination immediately after the collision.
(b) Determine the percentage change in the system’s kinetic energy as a result of the collision.
(c) Explain, without additional calculations, why mechanical energy is not conserved even though total linear momentum is conserved.