volume_mute

Two blocks of ice are sitting on a table with a piece of dynamite between them

publish date: 2023/08/03 07:01:00 GMT+10

volume_mute

One block of ice has a mass of 12 Kg and the other's mass is 18 kg.  The dynamite explodes.  If the block of lesser mass moves off with a speed of 10 m/s, what is the speed of the more massive block?

m/s

Please type in the answer as it is wither it has a negative sign or not

Correct Answer

(1) -6.67

Explanation

The total momentum before the explosion is zero, so the momentum of one piece of ice after the explosion plus the momentum of the other piece must equal zero.

12 kg • 10 m/s + 18 kg • v = 0

v = -6.67 m/s

The minus sign tells us that the speed of this block is in the opposite direction from the other block.

Reference

Basic Physics: A Self-Teaching Guide

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