On a frictionless air track, a 0.30 kg glider moving at 0.40m/s to the right collides with a stationary 0.80kg glider moving at 0.15 m/s to the left. The collision is cushioned by a bumper made of perfectly elastic spring steel. a. What is the velocity of each glider after the collision? b. What is the minimum amount of total kinetic energy during the collision? c. Where is the missing energy?

Explanation:

It is the case of perfectly elastic collision . So we shall apply formula of velocity after collision as follows .

Let  m₁ and m₂ be the mass colliding with velocity u₁ and u₂ and their velocity become v₁ and v₂ after collision .

Putting the values

= - 0.4 m /s

So direction of .30 kg mass will be reversed .

putting the values

= .15 m /s

The direction of .80 kg will become from left to right ie its direction will be reversed .

b ) Minimum amount of kinetic energy will be at the position when they move with common velocity

common velocity

v = .3 x .4 - .8 x .15 / (.3 + .8)

= 0

c )

Missing energy is stored as elastic potential energy in the spring .