Question

I am really struggling with these two questions. Please help!

1)Two ice skaters approach each other at right
angles. Skater A has a mass of 61.2 kg and
travels in the +x direction at 2.25 m/s. Skater
B has a mass of 66.2 kg and is moving in the
+y direction at 1.3 m/s. They collide and
cling together.
Find the final speed of the couple.
Answer in units of m/s.

2)A 1.46 kg skateboard is coasting along the
pavement at a speed of 5.24 m/s when a 0.710
kg cat drops from a tree vertically downward
onto the skateboard.
What is the speed of the skateboard-cat
combination? Answer in units of m/s.

Thank you!

Answer 1

x momentum = 61.2 * 2.25 FOREVER
y momentum = 66.2 * 1.30 FOREVER

so
final mass = 61.2+66.2 = 127.4
final x momentum :
127.4 * Vx = 61.2*2.25 Remember?
final y momentum
127.4 * Vy = 66.2* 1.30

final speed = sqrt(Vx^2+Vy^2)

tan theta = Vy/Vx
where theta is angle above +x axis

Answer 2

second problem same Newton One stuff.