Question
Two 75.0-kg hockey players skating at 5.25 m/s collide and stick together. If the angle between their initial directions was 140 degrees, what is their speed after the collision? (Let the motion of player 1 be in the positive x-direction and the motion of player 2 be at an angle of 140 degrees measured counterclockwise from the positive x-axis.
So I've got the mass(1) and mass(2) = 75 kg. and velocity (1) and velocity (2) = 5.25 m/s. They stick together, so it's inelastic collision.
I used the equation m(1)v(1) + m(2)v(2) = (m(1)+m(2))v(final).
The then solved for the x and y components of v(final) at the angle of 70 degrees. But came up with the wrong answers for each one.
What did I do wrong? I honestly don't know what I did wrong. Please help me!
So I've got the mass(1) and mass(2) = 75 kg. and velocity (1) and velocity (2) = 5.25 m/s. They stick together, so it's inelastic collision.
I used the equation m(1)v(1) + m(2)v(2) = (m(1)+m(2))v(final).
The then solved for the x and y components of v(final) at the angle of 70 degrees. But came up with the wrong answers for each one.
What did I do wrong? I honestly don't know what I did wrong. Please help me!
Answers
bobpursley
you cant use that equation. THe equation is a vector equation, and you added them as scalars.
Redo it in each of two directions, perpendicular to each other.
Redo it in each of two directions, perpendicular to each other.