If a ball A moves at X speed eastwards collideds with a stationary ball B. Ball A now moves at Y speed north east (40 degrees upwards from eastward direction) and ball B moves at W speed south east (50 degrees downwards from eastward direction). To calculate their kinetic energy would you have to include the degrees they moving in? (Eg ball A after collision : 0.5 x mass x velocity squared x sin 40)
To calculate the kinetic energy of an object, you do not need to consider the direction (angles) of the object's motion. Kinetic energy depends only on the magnitude of the velocity, not its direction.
The formula for calculating kinetic energy is:
Kinetic energy = 0.5 x mass x velocity²
In this case, both balls A and B have changed their velocities after the collision, but we are only concerned about the magnitudes of their velocities (speeds), not the specific directions. So you can calculate their kinetic energies using the formula mentioned above without considering the angles of their motion.
For ball A after the collision:
Kinetic energy of ball A = 0.5 x mass of ball A x (speed of ball A)²
For ball B after the collision:
Kinetic energy of ball B = 0.5 x mass of ball B x (speed of ball B)²
Remember to use the appropriate masses and speeds for each ball in the formulas.