Question

You and your friends are doing physics experiments on a frozen pond that serves as a frictionless, horizontal surface. Sam, with mass 78.0 kg, is given a push and slides eastward. Abigail, with mass 59.0 kg, is sent sliding northward. They collide, and after the collision Sam is moving at 33.0 circ north of east with a speed of 7.00 m/s and Abigail is moving at 25.0 circ south of east with a speed of 8.40 m/s.

What was the speed of each person before the collision?

a. Sam's speed:

b. Abigail's speed:

c. By how much did the total kinetic energy of the two people decrease during the collision?

Answer 1