Two astronauts on opposite ends of a spaceship are comparing lunches. One has ap
ID: 1548874 • Letter: T
Question
Two astronauts on opposite ends of a spaceship are comparing lunches. One has apple, the other has an orange. They decide to trade. Astronaut 1 tosses the 0.128 kg apple toward astronaut 2 with a speed of 1.15 m/s. The 0.163 kg orange is tossed from astronaut 2 to astronaut 1 with a speed of 1.23 m/s. Unfortunately, fruits collide, sending the orange off with a speed 1.13 m/s and an angle of 41.0 degree with respect to its original direction of motion. Using conservation of linear momentum, find the final speed and direction of the apple. Assume an elastic collision. Give the apple's direction relative to its original direction of motion. Please show detailed calculations.Explanation / Answer
from conservation of,m omentum
m1u1x+m2u2x = m1v1x+m2v2x
0.128*1.15-0.163*1.23 = 0.128*v1x+0.163*1.13cos41
0.147-0.2-0.139 = 0.128v1x
v1x = -1.5 m/s
along y axis
0 = m1v1y-0.163*1.13sin41
v1y = 0.944 m/s
v1 = sqrt(v1x^2+v1y^2) = 1.77 m/s
theta = tan^-1(v1y/v1x) = 32.18 degrees