Exploding Spaceship: Calculating Velocity and Energy

[rishabh_k]

Homework Statement

a 2710000kg spherical spaceship in deep space explodes into two pieces, one 3.61 times the mass of the other. (a) suppose the ship is initially at rest, and after the explosion the smaller piece is moving at 70.9m/s. Find the velocity of the larger piece. Find the energy supplied by the explosion.
(b) Suppose the ship is initially moving at the constant velocity 48.9m/s.After the explosion, the smaller piece is moving 70.9m/s in the same direction as the initial velocity. Find the velocity of the larger piece.
(c) Suppose the ship is initially moving at constant velocity 48.9m/s. After the explosion, the smaller piece is moving -70.9m/s.Find the velocity of the larger piece.

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[LowlyPion]

Homework Statement

a 2710000kg spherical spaceship in deep space explodes into two pieces, one 3.61 times the mass of the other. (a) suppose the ship is initially at rest, and after the explosion the smaller piece is moving at 70.9m/s. Find the velocity of the larger piece. Find the energy supplied by the explosion.
(b) Suppose the ship is initially moving at the constant velocity 48.9m/s.After the explosion, the smaller piece is moving 70.9m/s in the same direction as the initial velocity. Find the velocity of the larger piece.
(c) Suppose the ship is initially moving at constant velocity 48.9m/s. After the explosion, the smaller piece is moving -70.9m/s.Find the velocity of the larger piece.

Surprise me and show me you knew all along that linear momentum was conserved.