Chapter 8, Problem 18P

Combining conservation laws. A 5.00 kg chunk of ice is sliding at 12.0 m/s on the floor of an ice-covered valley when it collides with and sticks to another 5.00 kg chunk of ice that is initially at rest. (See Figure 8.37) Since the valley is icy, there is no friction. After the collision, the blocks slide partially up a hillside and then slide back down. How fast are they moving when they reach the valley floor again? (Hint: Break this problem into two parts—the collision and the behavior after the collision—and apply the appropriate conservation law to each part.)

Figure 8.37

Problem 18.