Why Is Calculating the Speed of the 0.89g Particle Post-Collision Challenging?

[Xamfy19]

I have doubt for the following question. Please help.

A 4.5 g particle moving at 170 m/s collides with 0.89 g particle initially at rest. After the collision the two particles have velocities that are directed 26 deg on either side of the original line of motion of the 4.5 g particle. What is the speed of the 0.89 g particl after the collision?

I used momentum conservation for X and Y direction to obtain 955 m/s, which was wrong.

Px = 4.5 * 170 = 4.5V1cos26 + 0.89V2cos26

for Py
4.5 V1Sin26 = 0.89 V2sin26


Thanks alot.

 

[cookiemonster]

You will have to use momentum conservation to solve this. And momentum conservation will be correct.

But you haven't supplied enough information to solve the problem. Is the collision perfectly elastic? Partially inelastic? Is energy conserved?

cookiemonster

 

[HallsofIvy]

Moved from accidental new thread (which I will now delete):

Originally posted by Xamfy19
That all I have from the question. I assumed the system is elastic collision. I use momentum conservation to solve and got two different answers. One is 955 m/s and another is 478 m/s. Then, I used energy conserve to prove and both of the answer are wrong. I wonder where I did wrong.
Thanks