A 1000-kg whale swims horizontally to the right at a speed of 6.0 m/s.It suddenly collides directly with a stationary seal of mass 200 kg.The seal grabs onto the whale and holds fast.What is the momentum of these two sea creatures just after their collision? You can neglect any drag effects of the water during the collision.
A)0.00 kg ∙ m/s
B)1200 kg ∙ m/s
C)2000 kg ∙ m/s
D)7200 kg ∙ m/s
E)6000 kg ∙ m/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The total momentum before the collision is the momentum of the whale, which is 1000 kg * 6.0 m/s = 6000 kg∙m/s. Since momentum is conserved, the total momentum after the collision is also 6000 kg∙m/s.

A 1000-Kg Whale Swims Horizontally to the Right at a Speed