Conservation of momemntum and relative velocities

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around a physics problem involving a girl walking on a plank on a frictionless surface, focusing on relative velocities and conservation of momentum. The girl has a mass of 39.7 kg and walks at 1.58 m/s to the right, while the plank, initially at rest and weighing 101 kg, moves in the opposite direction due to conservation of momentum. The participants clarify the relationship between the velocities of the girl and the plank, emphasizing the equation Vg - Vp = 1.58, where Vg is the girl's speed and Vp is the plank's speed relative to the ice. They suggest using conservation of momentum to derive the velocities of both the girl and the plank. The discussion concludes with a recommendation to set up two equations based on momentum conservation to solve for the unknown velocities.
FaNgS
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This is a problem about relative velocities and conservation of momemtum.

Here is how the problem goes:

A 39.7 kg girl is standing on a 101 kg plank. The plank, originally at rest, is free to slide on a frozen lake, which is a flat, frictionless supporting surface. The girl begins to walk along the plank at a constant speed of 1.58 m/s to
the right relative to the plank.

(a)What is her velocity relative to the ice surface?

(b)What is the velocity of the plank relative to the ice surface?

Working:

The way I'm thinking is that since the girl is moving to the right with a speed v=1.58 m/s then the plank moves (after being at rest) with the same speed v=1.58m/s but in the opposite direction (left) so its more like that the speed of the plank is -1.58 m/s.
Considering that, the ice surface is moving to the right with the same but opposite speed v, which is then 1.58 m/s.

Kinda sounds weird to me. I tried using conservation of momemntum also and said that:

(39.7)(1.58) + (101)(0) = 39.7(V) + (101)(-1.58)
then V is about 5.59 m/s

Please advise

As for part B, i haven't been able to figure that one out. I don't know if conservation of momentum should be used or some other method to solve it.


Help is greatly appreciated

Your truly,

Fangs
 
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well i found something out but I'm not sure if i understood it correctly from my textbook

the speed of the girl relative to the plank doesn't it mean:
Vg - Vp = 1.58

where Vg is the speed of girl and Vp is the speed of the plank

help is greatly appreciated
 
FaNgS said:
the speed of the girl relative to the plank doesn't it mean:
Vg - Vp = 1.58

where Vg is the speed of girl and Vp is the speed of the plank
That's correct. Vg and Vp are the speeds of the girl and plank with respect to the ice. Now write the equation for conservation of momentum. You'll have two equations and two unknowns--solve!
 
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