Two identical gliders slide toward each other on an air track. One moves at 2 m/s and the other at 1 m/s. If they stick together, the combination slides at ____________________.
A) 0.5 m/s.
B) 1 m/s.
C) 1.5 m/s
D) 2 m/s
E) 2.5 m/s.
m*2 - m*1 = 1 m
2 m (v) = 1 m
v = 1/2
To find the velocity of the combination after the gliders stick together, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum. According to this principle, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.
The momentum of an object is given by the product of its mass and velocity. Since the gliders are identical, they have the same mass. Let's assume the mass of each glider is m.
Before the collision, the momentum of the first glider (moving at 2 m/s) is 2m, and the momentum of the second glider (moving at 1 m/s) is 1m. Since they are moving toward each other, the momentum of the first glider is positive, and the momentum of the second glider is negative.
Therefore, the total momentum before the collision is 2m - 1m = m.
After the collision, the gliders stick together and move as a single object. Let's call the velocity of the combined gliders V.
Since the gliders stick together, their masses combine to form a single mass. Therefore, the momentum of the combined gliders is m * V.
According to the principle of conservation of momentum, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. Therefore, we can write:
m = m * V
Simplifying the equation, we can cancel out the mass m from both sides of the equation:
1 = V
This equation tells us that the velocity of the combination after the collision is equal to 1 m/s.
Therefore, the correct answer is B) 1 m/s.