Honors Physics Momentum Problem

[fantolay]

Homework Statement

A .45kg ice puck, moving east with a speed of 3 m/s has a head-on collision with a .9 kg puck initially at rest. Assuming a perfectly elastic collision, what will be the speed and direction of each object after the collision?

M1 = .45kg
M2 = .9kg
V1 = 3m/s
V2 = 0m/s

Perfectly elastic collision means Kinetic Energy and Momentum are conserved.

Homework Equations

KE = 1.2 * m * v²
P = m * v

The Attempt at a Solution

KE_I = KE_F (Initial KE = Final KE)
1/2 * m₁ * v₁² + 1/2 * m₂ * v₂² = 1/2 * m₁ * (v₁')² + 1/2 * m₂ * (v₂')²

and

P_I=P_F
m₁ * v₁ + m₂ * v₂ = m₁ * v₁' + m₂ * v₂'

I don't really know where to go from here or if this is the right start...

Thanks in advance

 

[Hunterbender]

You do have the right start. The rest is just really ugly algebra and moving things around.

Also, there is no such thing as kinetic energy conservation. Kinetic energy is not conserve, but energy is conserve. It just happens that there is no potential energy in your problem.