Answer:
a) 23 m/s
Explanation:
- Assuming no external forces acting during the collision, total momentum must be conserved, as follows:
- The initial momentum p₀, can be written as follows:
- The final momentum pf, can be written as follows:
- Since (2) and (3) are equal each other, we can solve for the only unknown that remains, v₂₀, as follows:
- This means that the 2.0-kg object was moving at 23 m/s in a direction opposite to the 6.0-kg object, so its initial speed, before the collision, was 23.0 m/s.