Question

on a very muddy football field, a 120 kg linebacker tackles an 75 kg halfback. immediately before the collision, the linebacker is slipping with a velocity of 8.6 m/s north and the halfback is sliding with a velocity of 7.4 m/s east. What is the magnitude of the velocity at which the two players move together immediately after the collision

Answer 1

Momentum 
- a vector quantity; has both magnitude and direction
- has the same direction as object's velocity
- can be represented by components x & y.

Find linebacker momentum given m₁ = 120kg, v₁ = 8.6 m/s north
P₁ = m₁v₁
P₁ = (120)(8.6)
[ P₁ = 1032 kg·m/s ] = y-component, linebacker momentum

Find halfback momentum given m₂ = 75kg, v₂ = 7.4 m/s east
P₂ = m₂v₂
P₂ = (75)(7.4)
[ P₂ = 555 kg·m/s ] = x-component, halfback momentum

Find total momentum using x and y components.
P = √(P₁)² + (P₂)²
P = √(1032)² + (555)²
[[ P = 1171.77 kg·m/s ]] = magnitude 

!! Finally, to find the magnitude of velocity, take the divide magnitude of momentum by the total mass of the players.
P = mv
P = (m₁ + m₂)v
1171.77 = (120 + 75)v      [solve for v]
v = 1171.77/195
v = 6.0091 ≈ 6.0 m/s

If asked to find direction, take inverse tan of x and y components.
tanθ = (y/x)
θ = tan⁻¹(1032/555)
[ θ = 61.73° north of east. ]

The magnitude of the velocity at which the two players move together immediately after the collision is approximately 6.0 m/s.