Question

You hold a 0.125 kg glider A and a 0.500 kg glider B at rest on an air track with a compressed spring of negligible mass between them. When you release the gliders, the spring pushes them apart so that they move in opposite directions. When glider A has moved 0.960 m to the left from its starting position, how far to the right from its starting position has glider B moved?

Answer 1

Answer:

Magnitude |VB| = 0.32 m/s

and

Direction is to the left

Explanation:

given data

glider A mass = 0.125 kg

glider B mass = 0.500 kg

glider A move = 0.960 m to the left

solution

we use here Conservation of momentum  that is

M1 × U1 + M2 × U2 =M1 × V1 + M2 × V2    ........................1

put here value and we get

0.125 × 0 + 0.500 × 0 = 0.125 × 0.960 + 0.375 × VB

VB = −0.32  m/s

Magnitude |VB| = 0.32 m/s

and

Direction is to the left