Which is the velocity and the angle?

In summary, the ball that was shot with the highest velocity will move the furthest and have the least angle of collision with the other ball.
  • #1
mathmari
Gold Member
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Hey! :eek:

If a particle of mass $m$ has velocity $v$, its momentum is $p=mv$.

In a game with balls, one ball of mass $2g$ springs with velocity $2m/s$, it hits two balls, both of which have mass $1g$, and stops.

The one ball get soared with velocity $3m/s$ and with angle $45^{\circ}$ to the direction that has the biggest ball at the moment of the crash, as is shown below.

View attachment 5342

Supposing that the total momentum is the same before and after the crash, I have to find with what angle and velocity the second ball will move.

I have done the following:

Let $(u,v)$ be the unit vector in the direction of the desired velocity.

Let $\theta$ is the desired angle. $(1,0)$ is the unit vector of the $x$-axis.

Then we have that $(u,v)\cdot (1,0)=\cos\theta \Rightarrow u=\cos\theta$.

Since the vector is unit, we have that $u^2+v^2=1 \Rightarrow v^2=1-u^2 \Rightarrow v^2=1-\cos^2\theta \Rightarrow v^2=\sin^2\theta \Rightarrow v=\pm \sin\theta$.

Since the desired vector shows to the negative $y$, we reject $v\sin \theta$, or not?

So, the unit vector is $(u,v)=(\cos \theta , -\sin \theta)$.

Therefore, the velocity vector that we are looking for is $v_2(\cos \theta , -\sin \theta)$, where $v_2$ is the magnitude of the velocity.
From the Momentum Conservation Principle at the $x$-axis we have the following:

$$4=3\cos \frac{\pi}{4}+v_2\cos\theta \Rightarrow v_2\cos\theta=4-3\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \tag 1$$

From the Momentum Conservation Principle at the $y$-axis we have the following:

$$0=3\sin \frac{\pi}{4}-v_2\sin\theta \Rightarrow v_2\sin\theta=3\frac{\sqrt{2}}{2} \tag 2$$

Therefore, $$v_2^2\cos^2\theta+v_2^2\sin^2\theta=16-12\sqrt{2}+\frac{9}{2}+\frac{9}{2}=25-12\sqrt{2} \Rightarrow v_2^2=25-12\sqrt{2} \\ \Rightarrow v_2=\pm \sqrt{25-12\sqrt{2}}$$

Is this correct so far? (Wondering)
 

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  • #2
Hey mathmari!

It looks fine to me. (Nod)

Furthermore, $v_2$ is a speed, which is the length of the vector.
That means it is non-negative. (Nerd)
 
  • #3
I like Serena said:
It looks fine to me. (Nod)

Furthermore, $v_2$ is a speed, which is the length of the vector.
That means it is non-negative. (Nerd)

Ah ok... Thanks a lot! (Smile)
 

1. What is velocity and how is it measured?

Velocity is the rate of change of an object's position or displacement over time. It is measured in units of distance divided by time, such as meters per second (m/s) or kilometers per hour (km/h).

2. How do you calculate velocity?

Velocity is calculated by dividing the change in position or displacement by the change in time. This can be represented by the equation v = Δx/Δt, where v is velocity, Δx is change in position, and Δt is change in time.

3. What is the difference between speed and velocity?

Speed and velocity are often used interchangeably, but they are actually different concepts. Speed refers to the rate at which an object is moving, while velocity takes into account both the speed and direction of an object's motion.

4. How is velocity related to acceleration?

Velocity and acceleration are both measures of how an object's motion changes over time. Acceleration is the rate of change of an object's velocity, meaning that it measures how quickly an object's velocity is changing. This can be represented by the equation a = Δv/Δt, where a is acceleration, Δv is change in velocity, and Δt is change in time.

5. Can velocity have a negative value?

Yes, velocity can have a negative value. This indicates that the object is moving in the opposite direction of the reference point. For example, if an object is moving to the left and the reference point is to the right, the velocity would be negative.

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