While sitting motionless in a 5 kg friction free wagon, an 80kg clown catches a 15 kg cannonball traveling horizontally at 20 m/s. After the cannonball is caught, at what speed do the clown, wagon, and ball move?

Question

Physics

Dean Hall

11 November, 08:24

While sitting motionless in a 5 kg friction free wagon, an 80kg clown catches a 15 kg cannonball traveling horizontally at 20 m/s. After the cannonball is caught, at what speed do the clown, wagon, and ball move?

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Answers (1)

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Kallie Perez · Answer 1

Momentum is conserved

15*20 = initial momentum = 300

total mass after being caught = 100

momentum=mass*velocity

thus dividing the momentum by total mass we get the velocity of 3 m/s