Question

a 0.500-kg sphere moving with a velocity (2.00i-3.00j+1.00k)m/s strikes another sphere of mass 1.50 kg moving with a velocity(-1.00i+2.00j-3.00k)m/s. if the velocity of the 0.500-kg sphere after the collision is (-1.00i+3.00j-8.00k)m/s, find the final velocity of the 1.50kg sphere and identify the kind of collision (elastic, inelastic, or perfectly inelastic).

Answer 1

Body A
Initial momentum = 1.00 i -1.50 j + 0.50 k
Final momentum = -0.50 i +1.50 j- 4.00 k

Body B
Initial momentum = -1.50 i + 3.00 j- 4.50 k
final momentum = 1.50 u i + 1.50 v j + 1.50 k

Now the sum of the two initial momenta = the sum of the final momenta, every directional component.
for example in the x direction
1.00 i -1.50 i = -0.50 i + 1.50 u i
1.5 u = 0
u = 0

for the second part add up the initial m1 (u^2+ v^2+ w^2) + m2(u^2+v^2+w^2)
and compare to the final