Collision of Equal Mass Hockey Pucks

[chudzoik]

Homework Statement

Two hockey pucks of equal mass undergo a collision on a hockey rink. One puck is initially at rest, while the other is moving with a speed of 5.4 m/s. After the collision, the velocities of the picks make angles of 33° and 46° relative to the original velocity of the moving puck. Determine the speed of each puck after the collision.

I just need a confirmation of the concepts involved. Since the pucks are of equal mass, does that mean that the velocity of the first puck becomes distributed evenly between the two pucks? So would the x-components of the velocity of the pucks after the collision both be 2.7 m/s?

 

[gneill]

Homework Statement

Two hockey pucks of equal mass undergo a collision on a hockey rink. One puck is initially at rest, while the other is moving with a speed of 5.4 m/s. After the collision, the velocities of the picks make angles of 33° and 46° relative to the original velocity of the moving puck. Determine the speed of each puck after the collision.

I just need a confirmation of the concepts involved. Since the pucks are of equal mass, does that mean that the velocity of the first puck becomes distributed evenly between the two pucks? So would the x-components of the velocity of the pucks after the collision both be 2.7 m/s?

Not in general. What's conserved is momentum. The total momentum in the x-direction will be conserved, as will the total momentum in the y-direction.