Three identical pucks on a horizontal air table have repelling magnets. They are held together and then released simultaneously. Each has the same speed at any instant. One puck moves due west.

What is the direction of the velocity of each of the other two pucks?
Three identical pucks on a horizontal air table have repelling magnets. They are held together and then released simultaneously. Each has the same speed at any instant. One puck moves due west.

What is the direction of the velocity of each of the other two pucks?
@Physics

Question

Three identical pucks on a horizontal air table have repelling magnets. They are held together and then released simultaneously. Each has the same speed at any instant. One puck moves due west.

What is the direction of the velocity of each of the other two pucks? 
 Three identical pucks on a horizontal air table have repelling magnets. They are held together and then released simultaneously. Each has the same speed at any instant. One puck moves due west.

What is the direction of the velocity of each of the other two pucks? 
 @Physics

jamesj · Answer

By conservation of momentum: Momentum(before release) = Momentum(after release).

Now, as the former is equal to zero, the latter must be as well.

Draw a diagram and you'll see you need to make the arrangement of the trajectories of the three magnetics very symmetric.