Physics Homework Help?

Question

Two asteroids strike head-on: before the collision, asteroid A (mA = 8.4×10^12 kg ) has velocity 3.3 km/s and asteroid B (mB = 1.31×10^13 kg ) has velocity 1.4 km/s in the opposite direction.

Part A

If the asteroids stick together, what is the magnitude of the velocity of the new asteroid after the collision?

 

Part B

If the asteroids stick together, what is the direction of the velocity of the new asteroid after the collision?

If the asteroids stick together, what is the direction of the velocity of the new asteroid after the collision?

	in the original direction of asteroid A
	in the original direction of asteroid B

 

Answer 1

Asteriod A has a mass of .

Asteriod A moves with a velocity of .

Asteriod B has a mass of .

Asteriod B moves with a velocity of .

Momentum before collision.

Momentum before collision is .

After head-on collision, the two asteriods stick together then mass of the asteriod is .

Momentum after collision.

Momentum after collision is .

Conservation of momentum:

In a collision, the momentum before collision is equal to momentum after collision.

Magnitude of the velocity of the new asteroid after the collision is 0.44 km/sec.

Answer 2

(b)

Velocity of the new asteroid after the collision is 0.44 km/sec.

As the velocity is positive, the new asteroid moves in the direction of asteroid A.

Therefore, new asteroid moves in the original direction of asteroid A.