Two identical balls are moving at the same speed of 3 m/s toward each other. With no external forces acting, what would be the magnitude (value) of the total momentum of the two balls after collision? (Express your answer as a number, not in words)
To find the magnitude of the total momentum of the two balls after the collision, we need to consider the principle of conservation of momentum. According to this principle, the total momentum before the collision should be equal to the total momentum after the collision if no external forces are acting.
In this case, since the two identical balls are moving toward each other at the same speed, their momenta should be equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. The momentum of an object is calculated by multiplying its mass by its velocity.
Let's assume the mass of each ball is m and the velocity of each ball is 3 m/s. Since the velocity of one ball is in the positive direction and the velocity of the other ball is in the negative direction, the momenta of the two balls can be expressed as +3m and -3m, respectively.
To find the total momentum after the collision, we add the individual momenta together:
Total momentum = +3m + (-3m) (positive momentum - negative momentum)
The negative momentum represents the opposite direction of the positive momentum. When we add these two momenta, the negative momentum cancels out the positive momentum, resulting in a total momentum of zero:
Total momentum = 0
Hence, the magnitude of the total momentum of the two balls after the collision is 0.