Question

ESPN has a new show called Super Smack: When Giants Collide! On the first episode, the World's largest bowling ball (Mbb=1200 kg) moving to the right with a speed of 3.0 m/s, collides head-on (in a perfectly inelastic collision) with the World's Largest Ball of Wax (Mwax=240 kg) which is moving to the left with a speed of 5.0 m/s. Determine the motions of the two balls after the collision (Assume both balls are moving horizontally without air resistance; also, this problem does not involve rolling.)



PLEASE HELP and show all work physics is my worst subject

Answer 1

conservation of momentum
Mbb*Vbb + Mwax*Vwax= (Mwax+Mbb)*Vfinal solve for Vfinal.
Note velocity signs: if to the right is +, then to the left is -

Answer 2

Given: M1 = 1200 kg, V1 = 3 m/s,
M2 = 240kg, V2 = -5 m/s.
V3 = Velocity of M1 and M2 after collision.

Momentum before = Momentum after,
M1*V1 + M2*V2 = M1*V3 + M2*V3,
1200*3 + 240*(-5) = 1200V3 + 240*V3,
V3 = ?.