The following question concerns a collision in outer space, far enough from any planets so that the external forces can be considered as negligible. An unmanned spacecraft, having mass 1,500,000 kg and speed 25,000 km/hr collides with a small meteor, having mass 3,000 kg and speed 2,100 km/hr, in the Kuiper belt. a. Prior to the collision, what are the total kinetic energy and total momentum? b. Assuming a head-on collision, in which the meteor becomes lodged into the spacecraft’s body and the two objects move off together, what are the total kinetic energy and momentum after the collision? c. If instead of getting lodged into the spacecraft, the meteor bounced off, would the change in the space craft’s momentum be larger or smaller, or is there not enough information to tell? Explain.
The following question concerns a collision in outer space, far enough from any planets so that the external forces can be considered as negligible.
An unmanned spacecraft, having mass 1,500,000 kg and speed 25,000 km/hr collides with a small meteor, having mass 3,000 kg and speed 2,100 km/hr, in the Kuiper belt.
a. Prior to the collision, what are the total kinetic energy and total momentum?
b. Assuming a head-on collision, in which the meteor becomes lodged into the spacecraft’s body and the two objects move off together, what are the total kinetic energy and momentum after the collision?
c. If instead of getting lodged into the spacecraft, the meteor bounced off, would the change in the space craft’s momentum be larger or smaller, or is there not enough information to tell? Explain.
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