Question

One ball of mass 0.600kg travelling 9.00m/s to the right collides head on elastically with a second ball of mass 0.300kg travelling 8.00m/s to the left.what are their velocities after collisions?

Answer 1

Let m₁ and v₁ denote the mass and initial velocity of the first ball, and m₂ and v₂ the same quantities for the second ball. Momentum is conserved throughout the collision, so

m₁ v₁ + m₂ v₂ = m₁ v₁' + m₂ v₂'

where v₁' and v₂' are the balls' respective velocities after the collision.

Kinetic energy is also conserved, so

1/2 m₁ v₁² + 1/2 m₂ v₂² = 1/2 m₁ (v₁')² + 1/2 m₂ (v₂')²

or

m₁ v₁² + m₂ v₂² = m₁ (v₁')² + m₂ (v₂')²

From the momentum equation, we have

(0.600 kg) (9.00 m/s) + (0.300 kg) (-8.00 m/s) = (0.600 kg) v₁' + (0.300 kg) v₂'

which simplifies to

10.0 m/s = 2 v₁' + v₂'

so that

v₂' = 10.0 m/s - 2 v₁'

From the energy equation, we have

(0.600 kg) (9.00 m/s)² + (0.300 kg) (-8.00 m/s)² = (0.600 kg) (v₁')² + (0.300 kg) (v₂')²

which simplifies to

67.8 J = (0.600 kg) (v₁')² + (0.300 kg) (v₂')²

or

226 m²/s² = 2 (v₁')² + (v₂')²

Substituting v₂' yields

226 m²/s² = 2 (v₁')² + (10.0 m/s - 2 v₁')²

which simplifies to

3 (v₁')² - (20.0 m/s) v₁' - 63.0 m²/s² = 0

Solving for v₁' using the quadratic formula gives two solutions,

v₁' ≈ -2.33 m/s   or   v₁' = 9.00 m/s

but the second solution corresponds to the initial conditions, so we omit that one.

Then the second ball has velocity

v₂' = 10.0 m/s - 2 (-2.33 m/s)

v₂' ≈ 14.7 m/s