How Do You Calculate the Change in Momentum of a Billiard Ball?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating the change in momentum of a billiard ball with a mass of 0.20 kg traveling at 15 m/s, which strikes the side rail of a pool table at a 60-degree angle and rebounds at the same speed and angle. Participants are exploring the implications of momentum conservation and the effects of direction on momentum components.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the formulas for momentum change and question the application of the equations, particularly regarding the horizontal and vertical components of momentum. There is a focus on the direction of momentum before and after the collision and how to properly account for changes in these components.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various interpretations of the momentum change being explored. Some participants have suggested writing down initial and final momenta to clarify the problem, while others have pointed out potential errors in the equations being used. There is no explicit consensus on the correct approach yet.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the constraints of a homework problem, which may limit the information available for discussion. Assumptions about the direction of momentum and the effects of the collision are being questioned.

ctlpsl
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I have this problem that I'm not sure I am on the right track. The problem is A .20 kg billiard ball traveling at a speed of 15m/s strikes the side rail of the pool table at an angle of 60 degrees. If the ball rebounds at the same speed and angle, what is the cahnge in its momentum.
I have the following formulas:
∆p=p2-p1 = ∆px + ∆py

∆px = p2x-p1x 2pcos θ

∆py = p2y – p1y = p2sin θ – p1 sin θ = 0

So, if I calculate p = mv I get .3kg*m/s
Do I plug that value in for p in the equations above, and then I'm not sure what to do with the ∆py equation.
 
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I'm not sure what you doing with this bit;

ctlpsl said:
∆p=p2-p1 = ∆px + ∆py

Also, p = mv \neq0.3.

I suggest writing down the intial and final momentums taking note of their direction.

~H
 
Notice that the vertical component of the momentum is the same since the speed of the ball after the collision is the same and the angle is the same. Therefore, the only change is in the horizontal component ( let's call it the x component ). What happens to the horizontl component of the momentum? The horizontal component of the velocity is reversed right? It has to be brought to zero first, and then back to its initial speed in the opposite direction. So the magnitude of the change in velocity is 2v. Therefore the change in momentum is
2P_x
 
Last edited:
Problem worked

Here is the full description and how I worked the problem
 

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the final answere

I forgot to include the final answere
then I have
∆p = ∆px - ∆py = -5.714 kg*m/s – 2.08 kg*m/s = -7.794 kg*m/s
 
As dx said before, there is no change in the x component (the diagram changed things slightly) of the momentum. This equation; ∆p = ∆px - ∆py is just plain wrong. I suggest you start by writing it down like this;

Inital momentum;
pxi = ...
pyi = ...

Final momentum;
pxf = ...
pyf = ...

Resolve you momentums into x and y components before you begin. For continuity make any motion in the left to right plane x, and in the bottom to top plane y.

~H
 

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