During the battle of Gettysburg, the gunfire was so intense that several bullets collided in mid-air and fused together. Assume a 4.91 g Union musket ball was moving to the right at a speed of 248 m/s, 20.3° above the horizontal, and that a 2.96 g Confederate ball was moving to the left at a speed of 282 m/s, 16.0° above the horizontal. Immediately after they fuse together, what is their velocity?
For this problem, you'll have to use conservation of momentum in both x and y direction. For x direction - m1v1 (x) +m2v2(x) (m1+m2) V(x) 4.91*248*cos(20.3) -2.96*282*cos(16) (4.91+2.96)*V(x) solve for V(x) here. V(x) would be the x component of the vector (as asked in the question format). Similarly conserve momentum in y direction, and solve the problem.
You have to use the principle of conservation of momentum. Resolve the velocity of each musket ball into it's x (i) and y (j) components. Use the velocity components to find the momentum components. They both have positive vertical momentum. The Union ball has positive horizontal momentum, the Confederate has negative (as it is traveling in the -x direction). Sum each component of momentum. Divide the resultant components by the sum of the masses (because the balls have fused). You will be left with the final velocity components. Email me if you still can't get it.
