Did i do this Kinetic Energy lost Collision Problem Right?

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem involving the conservation of momentum and kinetic energy in a collision. The solution involves finding the initial and final total momentum vectors, setting them equal to each other, and solving for the final velocity. There were also some errors in using the incorrect units for mass, but the correct solution was eventually found. The lost kinetic energy was calculated to be 85.7 J.
  • #1
Lori

Homework Statement



upload_2017-12-16_17-20-11.png

Homework Equations


Total Ke initial - Total Ke final = lost KE
P= m1v1 + m2v2

The Attempt at a Solution


Initial P : sqrt((0.08*50)^2 + (0.06+50)^2)
Final P : (m1+m2)vf = 140vf
Initial P = Final P and solve for vf , vf = 0.0357

KE initially : .5(0.080)(50^2) + .5(0.060)(50^2)
Ke final: .5(140)(0.0357)^2

Lost KE = KE initial - KE final = ~174964 KJ = 175 J
 

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  • #2
(Editing: This first paragraph you can skip)..This one is somewhat complicated because their initial momentums are each at right angles to each other. You need to first compute the complete vector (having an ## x ## and ## y ## component), for the combined initial momentum, and also compute the amplitude of that vector. You then need to set the initial momentum equal to the final momentum,(because of conservation of momentum), from which you can determine a final velocity vector for the objects that are stuck together. After that, you can work on finding any changes in kinetic energy. ## \\ ## For starters, can you write out the initial total momentum vector ## \vec{p} ##? ## \\ ## Editing: I see you did some of that already=it was a little hard to read your solution=let me have a second look at it... ## \\ ## I spotted one error: Your final ## m_{total}=.14 ## kg, (not 140 because you need to stay in M.K.S.) ## v_f ## will thereby be much larger. (Instinctively, ## v_f ## should be in the 50 m/s range=maybe 35 m/sec, but somewhere in that ballpark). In writing out the final momentum, and also the final kinetic energy, you incorrectly used ## m=140 ## in both cases. ## \\ ## Additional item: Please show your computed results for ## K.E._{initial} ## and ## K.E._{final} ##. It will help in checking the arithmetic.
 
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  • #3
Charles Link said:
(Editing: This first paragraph you can skip)..This one is somewhat complicated because their initial momentums are each at right angles to each other. You need to first compute the complete vector (having an ## x ## and ## y ## component), for the combined initial momentum, and also compute the amplitude of that vector. You then need to set the initial momentum equal to the final momentum,(because of conservation of momentum), from which you can determine a final velocity vector for the objects that are stuck together. After that, you can work on finding any changes in kinetic energy. ## \\ ## For starters, can you write out the initial total momentum vector ## \vec{p} ##? ## \\ ## Editing: I see you did some of that already=it was a little hard to read your solution=let me have a second look at it... ## \\ ## I spotted one error: Your final ## m_{total}=.14 ## kg, (not 140 because you need to stay in M.K.S.) ## v_f ## will thereby be much larger. (Instinctively, ## v_f ## should be in the 50 m/s range=maybe 35 m/sec, but somewhere in that ballpark). In writing out the final momentum, and also the final kinetic energy, you incorrectly used ## m=140 ## in both cases. ## \\ ## Additional item: Please show your computed results for ## K.E._{initial} ## and ## K.E._{final} ##. It will help in checking the arithmetic.
Thank you. I always forget that they give us the mass in grams. I did the problem again and calculated a new vf. So the lost in KE is 85.7. I used .140 grams instead of 140 grams and got vf= 35.7
 
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Related to Did i do this Kinetic Energy lost Collision Problem Right?

1. Did I correctly calculate the initial and final velocities in the collision problem?

To determine if you correctly calculated the initial and final velocities, you should first check your calculations to make sure they are accurate. Then, compare your results to the expected values based on the given information and the laws of conservation of momentum and energy. If your calculations and results match, then you likely did the problem correctly.

2. How do I know if the kinetic energy was lost in the collision?

To determine if kinetic energy was lost in the collision, you can calculate the initial and final kinetic energies of the objects involved. If the final kinetic energy is less than the initial kinetic energy, then kinetic energy was lost in the collision.

3. Can I use the law of conservation of energy to solve this problem?

Yes, the law of conservation of energy can be used to solve this problem. In a closed system, the total energy (including kinetic energy) remains constant, so you can use the initial and final energies to determine if any energy was lost during the collision.

4. How do I account for any friction or external forces in the collision problem?

In most collision problems, friction and external forces are not considered because they are often negligible compared to the forces involved in the collision. However, if these forces are significant, you can include them in your calculations by using the work-energy theorem to account for the change in kinetic energy due to these forces.

5. What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions?

In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved, meaning that no energy is lost during the collision. In an inelastic collision, momentum is still conserved, but some kinetic energy is lost in the form of heat, sound, or deformation of the objects involved. Inelastic collisions are often referred to as "partially elastic" because some energy is lost, but the objects still bounce off each other instead of sticking together.

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