A ball of mass m moving with velocity Vi strikes a vertical wall. The angle between the ball's initial velocity vector and the wall is θi. The duration of the collision between the ball and the wall is Δt, and this collision is completely elastic. Friction is negligible, so the ball does not start spinning. In this idealized collision, the force exerted on the ball by the wall is parallel to the x-axis.
What is the final angle θf that the ball's velocity vector makes with the negative y axis?
I think I need to find the x and y components and then put them together but I don't know how to find the components.
1 answer
only the bounce off the wall reverses velocity of the NORMAL component of initial velocity, the other parallel comonent remains the same.