Solving a Fishy Collision: Velocity After Impact

[HelloMotto]

Homework Statement

A large fish traveling at 2m/s initially swallos at a smaller fish which is initially at rest. The large fish then, travels at a reduced speed. The large fish weighs 3 times heavier than the smaller fish. What is the velocity of the large fish and the small fish after the collision?

I have no clue as to how to figure this out. Shouldn't both fish be traveling at the same speed after the collision?

 

[Doc Al]

Shouldn't both fish be traveling at the same speed after the collision?

Right. It's an example of a completely inelastic "collision". Set initial momentum equal to final momentum.

 

[baba89]

I can provide some insight into the concept of conservation of momentum, which applies to this scenario. According to this principle, the total momentum of a system remains constant before and after a collision. In this case, the initial momentum of the system is 2m/s for the large fish and 0m/s for the smaller fish. After the collision, the total momentum must still be 2m/s, but it will be distributed differently between the two fish.

Since the large fish is three times heavier than the smaller fish, it will have three times the momentum after the collision. This means that the large fish will have a velocity of 1.5m/s (2m/s divided by 3) and the smaller fish will have a velocity of 0.5m/s (2m/s divided by 1/3). Therefore, the large fish will travel at a reduced speed of 1.5m/s after the collision, while the smaller fish will have a velocity of 0.5m/s in the same direction.

It is important to note that this is assuming an ideal scenario with no external forces or friction acting on the fish. In reality, there may be other factors that could affect the velocities of the fish after the collision. However, the concept of conservation of momentum still applies and can be used to predict the general outcome of the collision.