Question

Two balls undergo inelastic collision. The y-momentum after the collision is 98 kilogram meters/second, and the x-momentum after the collision is 100 kilogram meters/second. What is the magnitude of the resultant momentum after the collision?

Answer 1

you can solve this in two parts.

so apply Pythagoras.
\[\sqrt{x^2+y^2}\]
=\[\sqrt{98^2+100^2}\]
=9800 kilograms/meters second.