The drawing shows a collision between two pucks on an air-hockey table. Puck A has a mass of 0.021 kg and is moving along the x axis with a velocity of +5.5 m/s. It makes a collision with puck B, which has a mass of 0.041 kg and is initially at rest. The collision is not head-on. After the collision, the two pucks fly apart with the angles shown in the drawing.
| (A)
|
|
(+5.5m/s) | 65 deg.
__(A)__________________(B)__________
|
| 37 deg.
| (B)
|
(-----before collision-)(after
A(left)advance toward B(at rest) at a velocity of +5.5m/s.
B in the middle is @ rest.
A hits B and is diverted 65 degrees north east of B
B is knocked 37 degrees south east of it's initial position B.
(a) Find the final speed of puck A.
(b) Find the final speed of puck B.
You have the principle of conservation of momentum (conserved in x and y direction). Write those equations in the x and y directions. You also have the conservation of energy equation, although you may not need it. That is three equations. I am not certain you need the energy equation (two equations, two unknowns, both from momentum)
2 answers