How is momentum conserved when the big rolling ball hits the smaller rolling ball?

Question

Responses

The big ball gives all of its momentum to the small ball.

The big ball gives all of its momentum to the small ball.

The big ball transfers some of its momentum to the small ball, but it keeps going forward, too.

The big ball transfers some of its momentum to the small ball, but it keeps going forward, too.

The small ball had no momentum before the collision, and afterward it has all the momentum.

The small ball had no momentum before the collision, and afterward it has all the momentum.

Momentum is not conserved when the two balls collide.

Answer 1

Momentum is conserved in the collision between the big rolling ball and the smaller rolling ball. The correct response would be:

The big ball transfers some of its momentum to the small ball, but it keeps going forward, too.

In a collision, the total momentum before the collision equals the total momentum after the collision, assuming no external forces are acting on the system. The big ball, upon colliding with the smaller ball, transfers some of its momentum to the small ball, which causes the small ball to move. However, the big ball retains some of its momentum, allowing it to continue moving forward. Thus, both balls end up with some momentum after the collision, preserving the overall momentum of the system.