A 65 kg ice skater traveling at 6.0ms^-1 runs head-on into an 85kg skater traveling forward at 4.5ms^-1. At what speed and in what direction do the skaters travel if they move together after the collision?

Question

A 65 kg ice skater traveling at 6.0ms^-1 runs head-on into an 85kg skater traveling forward at 4.5ms^-1.  At what speed and in what direction do the skaters travel if they move together after the collision?

jamesj · Answer

Use conservation of momentum

anonymous · Answer

i have no idea what that is...

anonymous · Answer

my teacher has never taught us any of this, she just gave us this worksheet and said: do this for tomorrow

jamesj · Answer

Watch this lecture. It's a bit advanced for where you are, but you'll get the important idea, and Conservation of Momentum is a very, very important idea. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-01-physics-i-classical-mechanics-fall-1999/video-lectures/lecture-15/

jamesj · Answer

it is the key to solving all of the problems you have posted.

anonymous · Answer

thats an hour long lecture, i dont exactly have time for that...

jamesj · Answer

Open your text book then.  Conservation of Momentum.  Find it in the contents or the index.

anonymous · Answer

do you mind helping me with this one?

anonymous · Answer

Brent give it a try yourself.....Like James said .....in case you still dont understand we will help