Consider massive gliders that slide friction-free along a horizontal air track. Glider A has a mass of 1 kg, a speed of 1 m/s, and collides with glider B, which has a mass of 5 kg and is at rest. If they stick upon collision, their speed after collision will be

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. Before the collision, the momentum is (1 kg * 1 m/s) + (5 kg * 0 m/s) = 1 kg*m/s. After the collision, the combined mass is 6 kg, so the speed is (1 kg*m/s) / 6 kg = 1/6 m/s.

Consider Massive Gliders That Slide Friction-Free Along a Horizontal Air