Calculating Linear Momentum of Flag-Pole/Bird System

[Niles]

Homework Statement

If I have a bird that flies into a flag-pole with velocity x m/s, and the flag-pole trips, how do I find the linear momentum of the flag-pole/bird system? (The bird gets stuck to the flag-pole).

The Attempt at a Solution

I know how to find the angular momentum, but does it even make sense to talk about linear momentum in this case?

 

[timon]

depends on the type of flag pole i guess

 

[Moetasim]

I would say that it does make sense to talk about linear momentum in this case. Linear momentum is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the motion of an object and is defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity. In this scenario, the bird and flag-pole are both objects with mass and are in motion, therefore they both have linear momentum that can be calculated.

To find the linear momentum of the flag-pole/bird system, we can use the equation: p = m * v, where p is the linear momentum, m is the mass of the object, and v is the velocity. In this case, we would need to calculate the combined mass of the bird and flag-pole, as well as the combined velocity of the two objects after the collision.

It is also important to note that in this scenario, the linear momentum of the system will be conserved, meaning that the total linear momentum before the collision will be equal to the total linear momentum after the collision. This is known as the law of conservation of momentum.

In summary, it is valid to discuss the linear momentum of the flag-pole/bird system in this scenario, and it can be calculated using the appropriate equation and taking into account the conservation of momentum principle.