Question

read the scenario and choose the correct answers. imagine you have just witnessed a small avalanche on a mountain while skiing, and two slushy snowballs just crashed together in a perfectly inelastic collision. they are moving as one larger snowball, as a combined mass. before the collision, snowball a was 7 kg and had initial momentum of -14 kg·m/s; therefore, its velocity must have been m/s. snowball b had initial momentum of 15 kg·m/s, and a velocity of 5 m/s; therefore, its mass must have been kg. recognizing that momentum is conserved in inelastic collisions, the total momentum of the combined snowballs after the collision must be kg·m/s.

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate velocity of snowball A

Use the formula $p = mv$ (where $p$ is momentum, $m$ is mass and $v$ is velocity), so $v=\frac{p}{m}$. Given $m_A = 7$ kg and $p_A=- 14$ kg·m/s, then $v_A=\frac{-14}{7}=-2$ m/s.

Step2: Calculate mass of snowball B

Using $p = mv$, we can solve for $m$. Given $p_B = 15$ kg·m/s and $v_B = 5$ m/s, then $m_B=\frac{p_B}{v_B}=\frac{15}{5}=3$ kg.

Step3: Calculate total momentum after collision

In an in - elastic collision, momentum is conserved. So $p_{total}=p_A + p_B$. Given $p_A=-14$ kg·m/s and $p_B = 15$ kg·m/s, then $p_{total}=-14 + 15=1$ kg·m/s.

Answer:

Snowball A velocity: -2 m/s
Snowball B mass: 3 kg
Total momentum after collision: 1 kg·m/s