How Do You Calculate Speed at the Center of Mass After a Collision?

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the speed at the center of mass after an inelastic collision, it's essential to determine the center of gravity using the masses and their respective positions. The user is attempting to compute the center of gravity with given masses of 500g each, but is uncertain about the calculations for Xcg and Ycg. They also seek clarification on whether to combine the masses when calculating momentum, despite the objects not sticking together post-collision. The discussion highlights the need for a better understanding of how to incorporate the velocities of both masses before and after the collision into the momentum calculations. Visual aids like the graph mentioned could provide further clarity on the situation.
TaintedLove
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Urgent Help Needed- Finding the speed at the centre of mass? Please help me :(

Hi, I was attempting to work through this question.
Anyways, I was working from a graph, so the radius 2.5 cm, the two of them collided, it was an inelastic collision as the two objects did part ways, so how do I find the centre of gravity?
I attempted to calculate it... but if someone could help me out? The masses were 500g and 500g.

So for x and y, would I do:
Xcg = (500)(0.025) + (500)(1.5)(0.025) / 1000 ?
Ycg = (500)(0.025) + (500)(0.025) / 100 ?

That's what I was thinking but I'm not entirely sure.

After this, I also have to find the momentum of the centre of gravity... so for that, I need the masses and the speed.

Even though the objects didn't stick together, would I add the masses when solving for the momentum at the centre of mass?

I was reading on the internet and it said: "The center of mass velocity of a system of particles is the average velocity of all the particles weighted relative to their mass"

but what I'm confused about is, do I add all the velocities... like the velocities of both the masses before and after the collision? So I'd have 4 velocities? But I'd only add the masses twice right? So it would be the velocities / 1000 g

Could someone really help me. Please.
 
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I'm sorry, this has accidentally been posted twice, I didn't notice it was going through because my internet was failing.
 


What? You really need to explain better.

"Anyways, I was working from a graph, so the radius 2.5 cm, the two of them collided, it was an inelastic collision as the two objects did part ways, so how do I find the centre of gravity?"

Can we see the graph? What radius is this? How did the objects collide?
 
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