- Joined
- Apr 29, 2011
- Messages
- 2,171
- Reaction score
- 863
TBR Physics I page 194 #15
You have two clay balls that will stick together after colliding. Mass of ball I = .100kg. Mass of ball III = .200 kg.
They are fired with the same amount of energy (via a spring) from a common distance. Since ball I is smaller in mass, it attains a faster velocity (and vice versa for Ball III). Thus, the balls miss each other.
But I'm wondering: what would happen if it were set up so that they would collide? What would the resultant path be?
The angle that Ball I's path makes with the horizontal is 30 degrees.
My hypothesis:
If I remember a TBR question correctly, given the same amount of initial energy, the heaver object has greater momentum than the lighter object.
I'm a bit unclear what to do from here. I know I need to take into account the angle of the velocities (to figure out the x-component).
Secondary question: What would happen to the resultant path if the masses of the balls were switched?
@Cawolf
You have two clay balls that will stick together after colliding. Mass of ball I = .100kg. Mass of ball III = .200 kg.
They are fired with the same amount of energy (via a spring) from a common distance. Since ball I is smaller in mass, it attains a faster velocity (and vice versa for Ball III). Thus, the balls miss each other.
But I'm wondering: what would happen if it were set up so that they would collide? What would the resultant path be?
The angle that Ball I's path makes with the horizontal is 30 degrees.

My hypothesis:
If I remember a TBR question correctly, given the same amount of initial energy, the heaver object has greater momentum than the lighter object.
I'm a bit unclear what to do from here. I know I need to take into account the angle of the velocities (to figure out the x-component).
Secondary question: What would happen to the resultant path if the masses of the balls were switched?
@Cawolf