On a frictionless horizontal air table, puck A (with mass 0.255 kg ) is moving toward puck B (with mass 0.365 kg ), which is initially at rest. After the collision, puck A has velocity 0.118 m/s to the left, and puck B has velocity 0.649 m/s to the right.

Question

On a frictionless horizontal air table, puck A (with mass 0.255 kg ) is moving toward puck B (with mass 0.365 kg ), which is initially at rest. After the collision, puck A has velocity 0.118 m/s to the left, and puck B has velocity 0.649 m/s to the right.
What was the speed vAi of puck A before the collision?

Damon · Answer

This is the same as the one with the skaters, just different numbers momentum before = .255 v + .365 * 0 momentum after = .255 (-.118) + .365*.649 momentum after = momentum before, solve for v