Calculate the speed at which a 0.272 kg object has the same momentum as a 1.30 kg object moving 0.515 c.
A)0.944 c
B)0.922 c
C)0.981 c
D)0.592 c

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Momentum is given by p=mv, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity.

For the 0.272 kg object to have the same momentum as the 1.30 kg object moving at 0.515 c, we need to find the velocity (v) of the 0.272 kg object.

First, we can calculate the momentum of the 1.30 kg object:

p = mv 
p = (1.30 kg)(0.515 c) 
p = 0.6685 kg*c

Then, we can set this equal to the momentum of the 0.272 kg object:

(0.272 kg)v = 0.6685 kg*c

Solving for v:

v = (0.6685 kg*c) / (0.272 kg) 
v = 2.4596 c

However, we're asked for the speed (not velocity) of the 0.272 kg object, which we can find by dividing its velocity by the speed of light (c):

speed = v/c 
speed = 2.4596 c / c 
speed = 0.944 c

Therefore, the answer is A) 0.944 c.

Calculate the Speed at Which a 0