Three identical smooth spheres A, B and C of mass each lie at rest in a straight line…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Linear Momentum · Linear Momentum
Problem
Three identical smooth spheres A, B and C of mass m each lie at rest in a straight line on a horizontal friction-less surface so that B is between A and C. Sphere A is given a speed 5.0m s−1 toward B. The coefficient of restitution for every collision is 0.70. Assume only successive one-dimensional collisions occur.
(i) Calculate the speed of sphere C immediately after it is struck.
(ii) Find, correct to the nearest whole number, the percentage loss of kinetic energy of the system after these two collisions.