Calculate Mass of Missing Piece Exploding Boulder

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The problem involves calculating the mass of a missing piece from an exploding boulder that was initially stationary. Given the momenta of three pieces, the total momentum must equal zero due to the conservation of momentum. The attempted solution incorrectly assumes a direct summation of momenta without considering vector directions. The missing piece's mass calculation results in a negative value, indicating a miscalculation in handling the momentum vectors. To resolve this, the direction of the missing piece must be accounted for in the calculations, emphasizing the need for proper vector analysis.
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Homework Statement


A stick of dynamite blows a boulder into 4 pieces. The boulder was stationary before the explosion. After the explosion, three of the pieces have the following momenta;
piece a = 10m/s West 1kg
piece b = 20m/s North 2kg
piece c = 10m/s East 4kg
Calculate the mass of the missing piece if the magnitude of its velocity is 25m/s



Homework Equations


Ptotal(initial)=Ptotal(final)
P=mv


The Attempt at a Solution


Since the boulder was not moving, its momentum is zero. The momentum of each piece is its mass x its velocity. Each piece's momentum added to each other will equal zero because momentum is conserved. So I get;
0=m1v1+m2v2+m3v3+m4v4
0=1kg(10m/s W)+2kg(20m/s N)+4kg(10m/s E)+m4(25m/s)
-90kgm/s=m4(25m/s)
m4=-3.6kg
Now I can't have a negative mass, so what can I do to solve this?
 
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The momentum is a vector you can't just add all the components like that. It's a 2-dimentional situation.
And you have given the magnitude of it's velocity, ie it's speed. So you also to need to figure out in what direction the 4th piece goes, but you don't need to calculate it though, only that it will be in your equations.
 
Thank you.
 
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