Question

Max (15 kg) and Maya (12 kg) are ice-skating on a frozen pond. While standing at the center of the pond, Maya throws a 1.5-kg snowball at Max and, as a result, recoils away from Max at 2.5 m/s. With what speed did Maya throw the snowball at Max

Answer 1

Answer: The speed at which Maya threw the snowball at Max is 20m/s

Explanation:

Given that

​Mass of snowball=   1.5-kg.

Mass of Maya= 12kg

Initial  speed of Maya=2.5m/s

We use the law of conservation of  momentum to calculate the  speed of the snowball which depends on its own mass,  the mass of Maya who threw the snowball and the initial velocity at which the snowball was thrown by Maya

Ms x Us = Mm x Um

Mass of snowball  x Initial speed of Snow ball =Mass of Maya x Initial  speed of Maya

1.5kg  x Initial speed of Snow ball =12 kg x 2.5m/s

Initial speed of Snow ball=( 12 kg x 2.5m/s) /1.5kg

​ Initial speed of Snow ball  =20m/s