An object with total mass mtotal = 17.6 kg is sitting at rest when it explodes into three pieces. One piece with mass m1 = 4.5 kg moves up and to the left at an angle of θ1 = 23° above the –x axis with a speed of v1 = 26.8 m/s. A second piece with mass m2 = 5.2 kg moves down and to the right an angle of θ2 = 28° to the right of the -y axis at a speed of v2 = 22.5 m/s.
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What is the x-component of the velocity of the third piece?

Question

An object with total mass mtotal = 17.6 kg is sitting at rest when it explodes into three pieces. One piece with mass m1 = 4.5 kg moves up and to the left at an angle of θ1 = 23° above the –x axis with a speed of v1 = 26.8 m/s. A second piece with mass m2 = 5.2 kg moves down and to the right an angle of θ2 = 28° to the right of the -y axis at a speed of v2 = 22.5 m/s. 
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 What is the x-component of the velocity of the third piece?

anonymous · Answer

You need to use the principle of conservation of momentum to solve this problem.