Two asteroids collide in space. The collision is not completely inelastic--the asteroids pull apart and continue...

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Physics

Two asteroids collide in space. The collision is not completelyinelastic--the asteroids pull apart and continue on their way.Their masses are 8.7 X 10⁸ kg for Asteroid A and 3.4 X10⁸ kg for Asteroid B. Treat Asteroid A as beinginitially at rest. Asteroid B, moving at high speed, strikesAsteroid A and moves from the collision at a speed of 7300 m/s in adirection 48 degrees from its original path. Meanwhile, Asteroid Amoves away from the collision at a spee of 4400 m/s at an angle of27 degrees from the original path of Asteroid B, but in theopposite direction, of course. Assume no significant amount of massis lost in the collision (a definite oversimplification).
a) Find the initial momentum, and from it the original speed, ofAsteroid B before the collision.
b) How much kinetic energy was lost in the collision?

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3.6 Ratings (421 Votes)

Per conservation of momentum mv mva mvb where m is the equal mass v the initial velocity of A and va and vb are the final velocities of A and B We may choose a frame of reference so that the initial velocity of A is along the xaxis Since all the masses are the same we can divide by m and we get that the vector sum of the final velocities must be equal to the initial velocity since we have chosen a reference frame where the initial velocity has only an xcomponent it must be that the y components of the See Answer

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