Chapter 6: Problem 43
Two ice skaters not paying attention collide in a completely inelastic collision. Prior to the collision, skater 1 , with a mass of \(60 \mathrm{~kg},\) has a velocity of \(5.0 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{h}\) eastward, and moves at a right angle to skater \(2,\) who has a mass of \(75 \mathrm{~kg}\) and a velocity of \(7.5 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{h}\) southward. What is the velocity of the skaters after collision?
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Convert Units
Apply Conservation of Momentum
Calculate Momentum in x-direction
Calculate Momentum in y-direction
Determine Final Velocity
Determine the Direction of Velocity
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Conservation of Momentum
- For the x-direction: \( m_1v_{1x} + m_2v_{2x} = (m_1 + m_2)v_{fx} \)
- For the y-direction: \( m_1v_{1y} + m_2v_{2y} = (m_1 + m_2)v_{fy} \)
Momentum in x and y Directions
- **x-direction (east-west):** Skater 1 initially moves east, contributing to the x-direction momentum. Skater 2 has no velocity in the x-direction, so their contribution to momentum here is zero. Thus, momentum before the collision is calculated using skater 1's momentum.
- **y-direction (north-south):** Skater 2 initially moves south, contributing to the y-direction momentum. Skater 1 has no velocity in the y-direction, so their contribution here is zero. Hence, y-direction momentum calculation uses data from skater 2.
Velocity Conversion
- 1 km/h = \( \frac{1}{3.6} \) m/s
- Skater 1: 5.0 km/h is converted to 1.39 m/s
- Skater 2: 7.5 km/h is converted to 2.08 m/s
Direction of Velocity
For our problem, the direction is calculated by employing the tangent function with the ratios of the speeds in the y and x directions, \( \theta = \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{v_{fy}}{v_{fx}}\right) \):
- \( \theta = \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{1.156}{0.618}\right) \)
- This results in an approximate angle of 61.7 degrees south of east