Elastic Glancing Collision-HELP

  • Thread starter Thread starter psychfan29
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Elastic
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on solving an elastic glancing collision problem involving a white ball (1 kg) and a yellow ball (2 kg). The initial speed of the white ball is 1.68 m/s, and after the collision, it moves at 1.24 m/s while the yellow ball is initially at rest. The user correctly applies the conservation of kinetic energy and momentum equations but encounters a domain error when calculating the vertical momentum component. The final velocity of the yellow ball is calculated as 0.801 m/s, but the user questions the validity of the mass ratio affecting the outcome.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of elastic collisions in physics
  • Familiarity with conservation of momentum and kinetic energy equations
  • Knowledge of trigonometric functions and their domains
  • Ability to solve equations involving multiple variables
NEXT STEPS
  • Review the principles of elastic collisions and their mathematical formulations
  • Learn about vector decomposition in momentum calculations
  • Study the implications of mass ratios in collision outcomes
  • Explore the use of trigonometric identities to avoid domain errors in calculations
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the mechanics of elastic collisions and momentum conservation principles.

psychfan29
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
Elastic Glancing Collision-HELP!

A white ball, mass of 1 kg has a speed of 1.68 m/s and a yellow ball, mass of 2kg, is at rest prior to an elastic glancing collision. After the collision the white ball has a speed of 1.24 m/s. To the nearest tenth of a degree, measured counterclockwise from east, what angle does it scatter at if the yellow ball is scattered at 280degrees?

I don't know what equations to use for this problem!
 
Physics news on Phys.org


I used this equation:

1/2mv_1i^2 = 1/2mv_1f^2 + 1/2mv_2f^2 (the 1i, 1f, and 2f are subscripts indicating which velocities)

When I plugged in the numbers from the problem, I got that the final velocity for the yellow ball is 0.801m/s.

I then used the following equation:

Py=1kg(1.24m/s)sintheta+2kg(vyellow)sin280

But sin becomes greater than 1, so it's a domain error.

Am I doing something completely wrong?
Or is it possible that for this problem to work, the mass of the white ball must be greater than that of the yellow ball?
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
1K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
4K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
5K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Replies
10
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K