Chapter 8 Systems of Particles and Conservation of Momentum

60 · A 2000-kg car traveling to the right at 30 m/s is chasing a second car of the same mass that is traveling to the right
at 10 m/s. (a) If the two cars collide and stick together, what is their speed just after the collision? (b) What fraction of
the initial kinetic energy of the cars is lost during this collision? Where does it go?
(a) Use p i = m1v1 + m2v2 = (m1 + m2)v; m1=m2=m vf = m(v1 + v2)/2m = 20 m/s
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
(b) Ki = 1/2m(v1 + v2 ); Kf =mvf ∆K/Ki = (v1 + v2 - 2vf )/(v1 + v2 ) = 0.2
The energy goes into heat, sound, and
the deformation of metal.

61* · An 85-kg running back moving at 7 m/s makes a perfectly inelastic collision with a 105-kg linebacker who is
initially at rest. What is the speed of the players just after their collision?
Use p i = p f; vf = vim1/(m1 + m2) vf = 85 × 7/190 = 3.13 m/s

62 · A 5.0-kg object with a speed of 4.0 m/s collides head-on with a 10-kg object moving toward it with a speed of 3.0
m/s. The 10-kg object stops dead after the collision. (a) What is the final speed of the 5-kg object? (b) Is the collision
elastic?
(a) p i = p f vf,5 = (10 × 3.0 - 5 × 4.0)/5 m/s = 2 m/s
(b) If Ki = Kf, the collision is elastic Ki = (40 + 45) J; Kf = 10 J; inelastic collision

63 · A ball of mass m moves with speed v to the right towards a much heavier bat that is moving to the left with speed
v. Find the speed of the ball after it makes an elastic collision with the bat.
Use Equ. 8-29 and the fact that vi,bat ≈ vf,bat ; take left vf,ball = vi,ball + 2vi,bat
as the positive direction vf,ball = 3v
64 ·· During the Great Muffin Wars of ‘98, students from rival residences became familiar with the characteristics of
various muffins. Mushy Pumpkin Surprise, for example, was good for temporarily blinding an attacker, while Mrs.
O’Brien’s Bran Muffins, having the density of lacrosse balls, were used more sparingly, and mainly as a deterrent.
According to the rules, all muffins must have a mass of 0.3 kg. During one of the more memorable battles, a muffin
moving to the right at 5 m/s collides with a muffin moving to the left at 2 m/s. Find the final velocities if (a) it is a
perfectly inelastic collision of two pumpkin muffins and (b) it is an elastic collision of two bran muffins.
(a) Use p i = p f; vf = (v1im1+v2im2)/(m1 + m2) vf = m(5 - 2)/2m m/s = 1.5 m/s, to the right
(b) 1. Find vcm and transform to CM system vcm = 1.5 m/s; u 1i = 3.5 m/s, u 2i = -3.5 m/s
2. Use u f = -u i and transform back u 1f = -3.5 m/s, u 2f = 3.5 m/s; v1f = -2 m/s, v2f = 5 m/s
65* ·· Repeat Problem 64 with a second (illegal) muffin having a mass of 0.5 kg and moving to the right at 3 m/s.
(a) Use p i = p f; vf = (v1im1+v2im2)/(m1 + m2) vf = [(0.3 × 5 + 0.5 × 3)/0.8] m/s = 3.75 m/s
(b) 1. Transform to CM system; u = v - vcm vcm = 3.75 m/s; u 1i = 1.25 m/s, u 2i = -0.75 m/s
2. Use u f = -u i; transform back to lab system u 1f = -1.25 m/s, u 2f = 0.75 m/s; v1f = 2.5 m/s,
v2f = 4.5 m/s
66 ·· A proton of mass m undergoes a head-on elastic collision with a stationary carbon nucleus of mass 12m. The
speed of the proton is 300 m/s. (a) Find the velocity of the center of mass of the system. (b) Find the velocity of the
proton after the collision.
(a) Use Equ. 8-13 vcm = 300m/13m m/s = 23.1 m/s