Understanding the Conservation of Momentum in a Hard Mud Ball Collision

In summary, when a hard sticky mud ball is thrown on a wall, it will stick to the wall due to an inelastic collision. In this scenario, kinetic energy is not conserved, but momentum is also not conserved because the mud had an initial velocity. The final momentum of the mud and the wall together is either 0 or less than the total initial momentum. This is because the wall/mud combination will have a small final velocity, which will be even smaller if the wall is attached to a planet due to its larger mass. However, if the wall is attached to the ground, the momentum of the entire earth needs to be considered, making it difficult to measure. In conclusion, the sticky mud will also have a final
  • #1
shanewatson
8
0
if a hard sticky mud ball is trown on a wall it sticks to it
it is an inelastic collision
K.E. is not conserved
but here momentum is also not conserved because mud had an initial velocity
so initial momentum of mud + initial momentum of wall (that is 0) = initial momentum of mud
final momentum of mud (that is 0 or less than its initial momentum)+final momentum of wall= 0 or less than total initial momentum
please explain hiw momentum is conserved here??
 
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  • #2
The wall/mud combination does have a small final velocity. If the wall is attached to a planet, this velocity is tiny, since the mass is huge.
 
  • #3
Momentum is conserved - but if the wall is attached to the ground, you have to consider the momentum of the whole earth, which changes at the impact. The mass of Earth is huge, so you won't be able to measure it.

Edit: Too slow :(
 
  • #4
will the stiky mud also have a final velocity??
 
  • #5
The same as the wall and earth, probably.
 

What is momentum?

Momentum is a measure of an object's motion and is defined as the product of its mass and velocity. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

How is momentum calculated?

Momentum is calculated by multiplying an object's mass (m) by its velocity (v). This can be expressed as the equation p = m * v.

What is the principle of conservation of momentum?

The principle of conservation of momentum states that in a closed system, the total momentum before a collision or interaction is equal to the total momentum after the collision or interaction. This means that the total momentum of the system remains constant.

How do collisions affect momentum?

In a collision, momentum can be transferred from one object to another. The total momentum of the system before and after the collision remains the same, but the individual momentums of the objects may change.

What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions?

In an elastic collision, both kinetic energy and momentum are conserved. In an inelastic collision, only momentum is conserved and some kinetic energy is lost. This means that in an elastic collision, the objects bounce off each other while in an inelastic collision, the objects may stick together or deform upon impact.

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