The final velocity after the collision is 8.2 m/s
Explanation:
We can solve this problem by using the law of conservation of momentum: in fact, if we consider the system to be isolated (=no external unbalanced forces), the total momentum of the raindrop+mosquito must be conserved before and after the collision.
If the collision is perfectly inelastic, moreover, the raindrop and the mosquito stick together and travel at the same velocity v after the collision.
Mathematically:
where:
is the mass of the first mosquito
is the initial velocity of the mosquito
is the mass of the raindrop
is the initial velocity of the raindrop
is the final combined velocity of the raindrop+mosquito
Re-arranging the equation and substituting, we find:
Learn more about momentum here:
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