Iin physics laboratory a trolley of unknown mass ,m, moves along a track at a constant velocity of 0,4m-s¹. A wooden block,mass500g is released directly above of and on top of the trolley. The trolley, along with the block, continues moving at 0,5m-s¹ in the same direction.
1. Is the collision between the wooden block and the trolley Elastic or Inelastic?Use a suitable calculation to justify the answer.
2. Draw a velocity versue time sketch graph to illustrate the motion of the trolley before and after
1. To determine whether the collision between the wooden block and the trolley is elastic or inelastic, we can analyze the conservation of momentum.
The momentum before the collision is given by:
Initial momentum = mass of trolley * initial velocity of trolley
The momentum after the collision is given by:
Final momentum = (mass of trolley + mass of wooden block) * final velocity
If the initial momentum is equal to the final momentum, then the collision is elastic. If the initial momentum is not equal to the final momentum, then the collision is inelastic.
Let's calculate the initial and final momenta:
Initial momentum = m * 0.4 (since the mass of the trolley is unknown, we represent it as 'm')
Final momentum = (m + 0.5 kg) * 0.5 (adding the mass of the wooden block to the mass of the trolley)
Since we don't have the exact value of the trolley's mass 'm', we can't directly calculate the initial and final momenta. However, we can compare their values.
If the initial momentum is equal to the final momentum, i.e., m * 0.4 = (m + 0.5) * 0.5, we can solve this equation to find the value of 'm'. If the initial momentum is not equal to the final momentum, then it is an inelastic collision.
2. To draw a velocity versus time sketch graph to illustrate the motion of the trolley before and after the collision, we need more information such as the time duration of the collision and the acceleration/deceleration profiles of the trolley.
Without this information, we cannot accurately depict the velocity versus time graph. However, before the collision, the trolley has a constant velocity of 0.4 m/s. After the collision, the trolley and the wooden block move with a constant velocity of 0.5 m/s in the same direction.
In a simplified representation, the graph would show a horizontal line at 0.4 m/s representing the trolley's velocity before the collision, followed by a horizontal line at 0.5 m/s representing the velocity after the collision.