Physics 9702 · AS & A Level · Linear momentum and its conservation

Linear momentum and its conservation — practice question

Two balls $X$ and $Y$ are travelling towards one another with speeds of $5\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ and $15\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ respectively. They undergo a perfectly elastic head-on collision, and after the collision ball $Y$ moves to the right at a speed of $7\,\text{m s}^{-1}$. What are the speed and direction of ball $X$ after the collision?

  • A$3\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ to the left
  • B$13\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ to the left
  • C$3\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ to the right
  • D$13\,\text{m s}^{-1}$ to the right

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