Momentum, conservation, collision

[Jimmy Tango]

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data

Olaf is standing on a sheet of ice that covers the football stadium parking lot in Buffalo, New York; there is negligible friction between his feet and the ice. A friend throws Olaf a ball of mass 0.400 that is traveling horizontally at 10.6 . Olaf's mass is 72.8 .

If Olaf catches the ball, with what speed do Olaf and the ball move afterward?

Vfinal = 5.79 cm/s

If the ball hits Olaf and bounces off his chest horizontally at 7.20 in the opposite direction, what is his speed after the collision?

Taking the direction in which the ball was initially traveling to be positive, what is , the ball's final momentum?



2. Relevant equations

Pi=Pf

P=mv

I = Force times change in time

change in momentum = Impulse



3. The attempt at a solution

[superdave]

Conservation of momentum, you said it right there. Olaf is standing still and has no momentum. The ball hits him and bounces off with some momentum. The rest of the momentum can't disappear, so it had to go into Olaf.