Exhibit 9-1
Two birds of prey hurtling after the same mouse collide in mid-air and grab each other with their talons.Each 250-g bird is flying at 30 m/s at a 60° angle to the ground. Use this exhibit to answer the following question(s).
-Refer to Exhibit 9-1.What is the horizontal component of their momentum,in
,immediately after the collision?
A)0
B)6.1
C)7.5
D)13
E)15

Question

Exhibit 9-1
Two birds of prey hurtling after the same mouse collide in mid-air and grab each other with their talons.Each 250-g bird is flying at 30 m/s at a 60° angle to the ground.  Use this exhibit to answer the following question(s).
-Refer to Exhibit 9-1.What is the horizontal component of their momentum,in 
,immediately after the collision?
A)0 
B)6.1 
C)7.5 
D)13 
E)15

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The horizontal component of momentum is conserved in the absence of external forces. Since the two birds were flying at the same horizontal speed and collided head-on, their horizontal momenta cancel each other out and the resulting horizontal momentum after the collision is zero.

Exhibit 9-1 Two Birds of Prey Hurtling After the Same Mouse Collide