A non-BYU Idaho student is having a snow ball fight. 'Accidentally' a snowball travelling north at 10.0 m/s hits a bicyclist traveling west at 5.00 m/s. The mass of the snowball is 0.750 kg, and the bicyclist is 55.0 kg. What is her final velocity, a. If the snow ball sticks to the bicyclist? b. If the snow ball bounces off with a speed of 2.0 m/s at an angle 20.0° West of South?

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Chapter1: Units, Trigonometry. And Vectors
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**Problem Statement:**

A non-BYU Idaho student is having a snowball fight. ‘Accidentally’ a snowball traveling north at 10.0 m/s hits a bicyclist traveling west at 5.00 m/s. The mass of the snowball is 0.750 kg, and the bicyclist is 55.0 kg. 

**What is her final velocity,**

a. If the snowball sticks to the bicyclist?

b. If the snowball bounces off with a speed of 2.0 m/s at an angle 20.0° West of South?

---

**Explanation of Concepts:**

To solve this problem, we need to apply the principle of conservation of momentum. The momentum before the collision should equal the momentum after the collision for both scenarios:

1. **Scenario A: Inelastic Collision (Snowball Sticks to the Bicyclist)**

   - Use the formula for conservation of momentum in two dimensions. Calculate the x and y components separately.
   
   - Initial momentum in x-direction:
     - Bicyclist: \(0.750 \, \text{kg} \times 0 \, \text{m/s} = 0\)
     - Snowball: \(55.0 \, \text{kg} \times 5.0 \, \text{m/s}\)
   
   - Initial momentum in y-direction:
     - Bicyclist: \(55.0 \, \text{kg} \times 0 = 0\)
     - Snowball: \(0.750 \, \text{kg} \times 10.0 \, \text{m/s}\)
   
   - Final combined mass: \(55.0 \, \text{kg} + 0.750 \, \text{kg}\)
   
2. **Scenario B: Snowball Bounces Off (Elastic Collision)**

   - Calculate the momentum using the angle and speed provided for the snowball and use trigonometry to find the components.
   
   - You'll need to calculate the new velocities using the angle given and apply conservation of momentum separately for each direction.

By carefully setting up the equations and solving for the final velocities, we can determine the final velocity of the bicyclist in each scenario.
Transcribed Image Text:**Problem Statement:** A non-BYU Idaho student is having a snowball fight. ‘Accidentally’ a snowball traveling north at 10.0 m/s hits a bicyclist traveling west at 5.00 m/s. The mass of the snowball is 0.750 kg, and the bicyclist is 55.0 kg. **What is her final velocity,** a. If the snowball sticks to the bicyclist? b. If the snowball bounces off with a speed of 2.0 m/s at an angle 20.0° West of South? --- **Explanation of Concepts:** To solve this problem, we need to apply the principle of conservation of momentum. The momentum before the collision should equal the momentum after the collision for both scenarios: 1. **Scenario A: Inelastic Collision (Snowball Sticks to the Bicyclist)** - Use the formula for conservation of momentum in two dimensions. Calculate the x and y components separately. - Initial momentum in x-direction: - Bicyclist: \(0.750 \, \text{kg} \times 0 \, \text{m/s} = 0\) - Snowball: \(55.0 \, \text{kg} \times 5.0 \, \text{m/s}\) - Initial momentum in y-direction: - Bicyclist: \(55.0 \, \text{kg} \times 0 = 0\) - Snowball: \(0.750 \, \text{kg} \times 10.0 \, \text{m/s}\) - Final combined mass: \(55.0 \, \text{kg} + 0.750 \, \text{kg}\) 2. **Scenario B: Snowball Bounces Off (Elastic Collision)** - Calculate the momentum using the angle and speed provided for the snowball and use trigonometry to find the components. - You'll need to calculate the new velocities using the angle given and apply conservation of momentum separately for each direction. By carefully setting up the equations and solving for the final velocities, we can determine the final velocity of the bicyclist in each scenario.
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