What Determines the Outcome in These Momentum and Collision Scenarios?

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In summary, the first conversation is about a collision between two gliders, one with a mass of 7 kg and an initial velocity of 32 m/s and the other with a mass of 2 kg and initially at rest. The question is which glider experiences a larger magnitude change in momentum, to which the answer is both experience the same change due to Newton's 3rd law. The second conversation discusses the possibility of all forces acting on a system being internal, and concludes that there must be some external forces for the system to accelerate. The third conversation describes a collision between two pool balls and asks whether it is almost completely elastic, almost completely inelastic, or somewhere in between. The answer is almost completely elastic. Finally,
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SoulInNeed
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1.1. A 7 kg glider on an air track starts with an initial velocity of 32 m/s and then runs into a 2 kg glider which is initially at rest. During the collision, which glider has a larger magnitude change in momentum? Explain your answer.

2. We observe the center of mass of a system of objects and realize that it is accelerating. Could all of the forces acting on the system be internal forces? Why or why not?

3. You are playing pool. You hit the cue ball into the 6 ball. If there is no spin on the ball and you hit it straight on center, the cue ball stops dead, and the 6 ball rolls off with approximately the same velocity that the cue ball had before. Is the collision between the balls:

Almost completely elastic
Almost completely inelastic
Roughly halfway between completely elastic and completely inelastic
You can't tell from the information given.

4. Explain your answer to the multiple choice question



Homework Equations

K=(1/2)mv^2
p=mv



3. 1. They both experience the same magnitude change, since this is an isolated system, and these two objects exert the same force on each other (in magnitude, but opposite directions, according to Newton's 3rd law).

2. No, if all the forces acting on it were internal, then net force would equal zero, and there would be no acceleration. Thus, there must be some external forces.

3. Almost completely elastic

4. In this example, the total kinetic energy would be the same after the collision, as before the collision. Before the collision, one of the balls is moving with a certain velocity, and one is at rest. After the collision, the other ball has started moving with the same velocity, while the other one is now at rest. The balls are of roughly equal mass, and thus, the initial total kinetic energy is equal to the final total kinetic energy.

Thanks for any help!
 
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Bump again.
 

Related to What Determines the Outcome in These Momentum and Collision Scenarios?

1. What is momentum?

Momentum is a physical quantity that describes the motion of an object. It is defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity.

2. How is momentum calculated?

Momentum is calculated by multiplying an object's mass (m) by its velocity (v). The equation for momentum is p = m * v.

3. What are some examples of easy momentum problems?

Some examples of easy momentum problems include calculating the momentum of a moving car, a thrown baseball, or a person running.

4. Is momentum conserved in all situations?

According to the law of conservation of momentum, momentum is conserved in all closed systems. This means that in a closed system, the total amount of momentum before an event is equal to the total amount of momentum after the event.

5. How does momentum affect collisions?

In collisions, the total momentum of the system is conserved. This means that the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. This can be used to solve problems involving the velocities and masses of objects involved in a collision.

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