- #1
joker_900
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Two blocks can collide in a one-dimensional collision. The block on the left hass a mass of 0.50 kg and is initially moving to the right at 2.4 m/s toward a second block of mass 0.80 kg that is initially at rest. When the blocks collide, a cocked spring releases 1.2 J of energy into the system.
(a) What is the velocity of the first block after the collision?
(b) What is the velocity of the second block after the collision?
I don't know what to do. I assume equal momentum is given by the spring to each block, but i tried working out the momentum given to the system by pretending it was 1 big block and working out the KE and so the momentum. I though this was the momentum given to each block so worked out the velocity given to each block by the spring and adding it on to the two velocities i found using simultaneous equations of momentum and kinetic energy. It didn't work :(. I don't know what else to do without knowing how the energy is distributed between the two blocks.
(a) What is the velocity of the first block after the collision?
(b) What is the velocity of the second block after the collision?
I don't know what to do. I assume equal momentum is given by the spring to each block, but i tried working out the momentum given to the system by pretending it was 1 big block and working out the KE and so the momentum. I though this was the momentum given to each block so worked out the velocity given to each block by the spring and adding it on to the two velocities i found using simultaneous equations of momentum and kinetic energy. It didn't work :(. I don't know what else to do without knowing how the energy is distributed between the two blocks.
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