Two

TwoDimensional
DimensionalMomentum
Momentum
Inelastic
InelasticGlancing
GlancingCollisions
Collisionsand
andCenter
CenterofofMass
MassProblems
Problems

1.

Name:
Name:_______________________________
_______________________________

A 3.00-kg steel ball strikes a massive wall at 10.0 m/s at an angle of

60.0 with the plane of the wall. It bounces off the wall with the same
speed and angle (Fig. P6.14). If the ball is in contact with the wall for
0.200 s, what is the average force exerted by the wall on the ball?
(sf 6.14)
(2.68 ft)

r
r
p
F av
t

Fav y

Fav x

Fav x

so

m vy

m vx f v x

px
t

and

Fav y

py
t

m v cos 60.0 v cos 60.0

0
t

m v sin 60.0 v sin 60.0

t

2mv sin 60.0 2 3.00 kg 10.0 m s sin 60.0

260 N
t
0.200 s

r
Thus, F av 260 N in the negative x -direction or perpendicular to the wall

2.

A 90-kg fullback moving east with a speed of 5.0 m/s is tackled by a 95-kg opponent running north at
3.0 m/s. If the collision is perfectly inelastic, calculate the velocity of the players just after the tackle.
(sf 6.41)

(6.13 m)

Choose the +x-axis to be eastward and the +y-axis northward.

First, we conserve momentum in the x direction to find

185 kg V cos 90 kg 5.0 m s , or V cos

90
5.0 m s
185

(1)

Conservation of momentum in the y direction gives

185 kg V sin 95 kg 3.0

95
3.0 m s
185

m s , or V sin

Divide equation (2) by (1) to obtain tan

95 3.0

90 5.0 , and

32

Then, either (1) or (2) gives V = 2.88 m s , which rounds to V 2.9 m s

(2)

3.

An 8.00-kg object moving east at 15.0 m/s on a frictionless horizontal surface collides with a 10.0-kg
object that is initially at rest. After the collision, the 8.00-kg object moves south at 4.00 m/s. What is the
velocity of the 10.0-kg object after the collision?
(sf 6.42) (36.1 m/s at 60.1 below the horizontal)

Choose the +x-axis to be eastward and the +y-axis northward.

Conserving momentum in the x direction gives
0 10.0 kg v2 x 8.00 kg 15.0 m s 0 , or v2 x 12.0 m s

Momentum conservation in the y direction yields

8.00 kg 4.00 m s 10.0 kg v

2y

0 0 , or v2 y 3.20 m s

2
2
After collision, v2 v2 x v2 y 154 m s 12.4 m s

and

3.20
v2 y
tan 1
14.9 . Thus, the final velocity of the 10.0-kg mass is

v2 x
12.0

tan 1

r
v 2 12.4 m s at 14.9 N of E

4.

A 2,000-kg car moving east at 10.0 m/s collides with a 3 000-kg car moving north. The cars stick
together and move as a unit after the collision, at an angle of 40.0 north of east and a speed of 5.22
m/s. Find the speed of the 3 000-kg car before the collision
(sf 6.43) (12 m/s)

Choose the +x-axis to be eastward and the +y-axis northward.

If vi is the initial northward speed of the 3000-kg car, conservation of momentum in the y direction
gives
0 3000 kg vi 5000 kg 5.22 m s sin 40.0 , or vi 5.59 m s
Observe that knowledge of the initial speed of the 2000-kg car was unnecessary for this solution.

5.

A water molecule consists of an oxygen atom with two hydrogen

atoms bound to it as shown in the figure. The bonds are 0.100 nm in
length, and the angle between the two bonds is 106. Use the
coordinate axes shown, and determine the location of the center of
gravity of the molecule. Take the mass of an oxygen atom to be 16
times the mass of a hydrogen atom.
(sf 8.8) (7.23 x 103 m, 1.68 x 103 m)

If the mass of a hydrogen atom is 1.00 u (that is, 1 unit), then the mass of the oxygen atom is 16.0 u.

xcg

mi xi 16.0 u 0 2 1.00 u 0.100 nm cos 53.0

6.69 10 3 nm
mi
16.0 1.00 1.00 u

ycg

mi yi
mi

16.0 0 1.00 0.100 sin 53.0 1.00

16.0 1.00 1.00

0.100 sin 53.0

u nm

7.

Find the x- and y-coordinates of the center of gravity

of a 4.00-ft by 8.00-ft uniform sheet of plywood with
the upper right quadrant removed as shown in the
figure.
(sf 8.11)
(25 m)
Consider the remaining plywood to consist of two
parts: A1 is a 4.00-ft by 4.00-ft section with center of
gravity located at 2.00 ft, 2.00 ft , while A2 is a
2.00-ft by 4.00-ft section with center of gravity at
6.00 ft, 1.00 ft . Since the plywood is uniform, its

mass per area is constant and the mass of a section

having area A is m A . The center of gravity of the
remaining plywood has coordinates given by:

16.0 ft 2 2.00 ft 8.00 ft 2 6.00 ft

mi xi A1 x1 A2 x2
xcg

3.33 ft
mi
A1 A2
16.0 ft 2 8.00 ft 2

and

ycg

16.0 ft 2 2.00 ft 8.00 ft 2 1.00 ft

mi yi A1 y1 A2 y2

1.67 ft
mi
A1 A2
16.0 ft 2 8.00 ft 2