High School

Two football players collide head-on in midair while chasing a pass. The first player has a mass of 107.5 kg and an initial velocity of 6.50 m/s. What is the initial velocity of the second player if his mass is 118 kg?

Answer :

Final answer:

The initial velocity of the second player would depend upon the specific conditions of the collision. However, if considering this as an isolated system and assuming total system momentum before collision is zero, the initial velocity can be calculated using the conservation of momentum principle.

Explanation:

The initial velocity of the second football player depends on the condition given. But to provide an example, let's assume that the collision is completely elastic. In physics, and especially in problems dealing with momentum, the Principle of Conservation of Momentum often applies. This principle states that the total momentum of an isolated system is constant if no external forces act on it.

In this case, if interaction between the two football players is regarded as an isolated system (ignoring effects of gravity, air resistance etc.), and suppose before the collision the momentum of the system is zero (as they collide head-on), the total momentum after the collision should also be zero. Therefore, the product of the mass and velocity of the first player (known as momentum) should be equal and opposite to that of the second player.

Going by this theory, we calculate the initial velocity of the second player as follows: v2 = -m1*v1/m2. Plugging in the known values: v2 = -107.5 kg * 6.5 m/s / 118 kg. The minus sign indicates that the velocity vector of the second player is in the opposite direction to the first.

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