The total momentum of a system of two moving identical bodies is zero.

Question

What should be true about the velocities of the bodies?
(1 point)
The velocities should be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
Both velocities should be different in magnitude and direction.
The velocities should be equal in direction and opposite in magnitude.
Both velocities should be zero.

Answer 1

For the total momentum of a system of two moving identical bodies to be zero, the velocities should be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. This means that if one body has a velocity of \( v \), the other body should have a velocity of \( -v \). Therefore, the correct answer is:

The velocities should be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.