Question

A ball with a mass of 0.5 kg is traveling at 25 m/s and collides with a ball at rest that has a mass of 2 kg. After the collision, both balls are traveling 5 m/s in the same direction. Was momentum conserved?

Answer 1

Given:
M1 = 0.5kg, Vi = 25 m/s.
M2 = 2kg, V2 = 0.
V3 = 5 m/s = Velocity of M1 and M2 after colliding.

a. M1*V1 + M2*V2 = 0.5*25 + 2*0 = 12.5kg-m/s = Momentum before colliding.

b. M1*V3 + M2*V3 = Momentum after colliding.

If a and b are equal, momentum is conserved.