Two identical air-hockey pucks are moving on an air-hockey track with an x-y axis drawn upon it. Puck A has a velocity of 5 m/s at an angle of 35 degrees above the x-axis. Puck B has a velocity of 6 m/s at an angle of 70 degrees above the horizontal. Which puck has a larger momentum in the x-direction?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To find momentum in x-direction, we need to use the formula: momentum = mass x velocity x cos(angle)
Both pucks have identical masses and we are only concerned with their x-velocities. 
For Puck A: momentum = mass x 5 m/s x cos(35) = 4.10m
For Puck B: momentum = mass x 6 m/s x cos(70) = 1.98m

Therefore, Puck A has a larger momentum in the x-direction.

Two Identical Air-Hockey Pucks Are Moving on an Air-Hockey Track