Claudia and Marco are standing face-to-face on two skateboards. They both have e

Question

Claudia and Marco are standing face-to-face on two skateboards. They both have equal mass of 66 kg (including the skateboards). Claudia throws a 8.4-kg bowling ball to Marco. The ball is moving at a speed of 6.3 m/s between the students (ignore that the ball will slighly drop. Also ignore any friction on the skateboards.) What is Claudia's speed after having thrown the ball? What is Marco's speed after having caught the ball? You should have noticed that Claudia's and Marco's speeds are similar but not equal. Why is that? Below answer with Marco's speed.

Explanation / Answer

The law of conservation of momentum states that "the total momentum of a closed system does not change".

mc= mass of claudia+ Mass of skateboards

Mm = Mass of marco+ Mass of skateboards

mb = mass of bowl

vc = velocity of claudia

vm = velocity of marco

vb =velocity of ball

Initial momentum of the (mc and ball) =(mc+mb)xv

final momentum= mbxvb

v=mbxvb/(mc+mb)

=8.4x6.3/(66+8.4)

=0.71 m/s Claudia speed after throwing bowl

Similiarly for maco

Its speed comes out to be 0.71 m/s solving by same eqautions

v=mmxvb/(mm+mb)

Claudia's and Marco's speeds are similar but not equal, Because of the difference in velocity vecor(speed is same for both, but opposit direction)

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