Question

Physics Help Please:
Two astronauts on opposite ends of a spaceship are comparing lunches. One has an apple, the other has an orange. They decide to trade. Astronaut 1 tosses the 0.130kg apple toward astronaut 2 with a speed of vi,1 = 1.07m/s . The 0.160kg orange is tossed from astronaut 2 to astronaut 1 with a speed of 1.19m/s . Unfortunately, the fruits collide, sending the orange off with a speed of 0.998m/s in the negative y direction.
What are the final speed and direction of the apple in this case?

I already found the speed (1.29m/s) but I cannot find the direction.
Picture is in the reply box.
Thank You

Answer 1

heres a hint, :) I can still help you.

Answer 2

you there? also, in this I you still dont get it the answer is in this. I like medals, ur rights. ;) have a good one!

Answer 3

the apple ends up with all of the horizontal momentum of the system, because the orange is travelling perpendicularly.....

so,
0.13*1.07 - 0.16 * 1.19 = 0.13 * v
v = 1.07 - 1.19 * 0.16/0.13 = -0.39m/s [check numbers]

note the minus on the orange's momentum as it is directed Right to Left
similarly the answer is minus, meaning apple travels Right to Left, as the diagram shows.


in the other (Up-down) direction, the momentum was initially zero; so the apple and orange will now have equal and opposite momentum in that direction, ie it adds to zero.

Answer 4

Thanks, but I already figured out the magnitude of the final speed. I just cannot figure out how to get direction. What I did was the following: MaVa(initial)+MoVo(initial)=MoVo(final)+MaVa(final) and with that I got 1.29 which was correct. I just cannot figure out how to get the direction.