Billiard Ball Collision: A Fascinating Physics Experiment

What happens when a billiard ball traveling at 4m/s collides elastically with another billiard ball of equal mass initially at rest? What is the speed of the second ball after the collision? The speed of the second ball after the collision is 4m/s because the size of the billiard balls is the same. When a billiard ball traveling at 4m/s collides elastically with another billiard ball of equal mass that is initially at rest, the first ball comes to a complete stop after the collision while the second ball moves at the same speed as the first ball before the collision.

In this scenario, the law of conservation of momentum comes into play. According to this law, the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant before and after the collision unless an external force acts upon it. This means that momentum cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred between objects.

Before the collision, the first billiard ball is moving with a speed of 4m/s while the second ball is at rest. After the collision, the first ball comes to a stop and the second ball moves with a speed of 4m/s in the opposite direction. This is because the momentum of the system is conserved - the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

By applying the conservation of momentum formula, we can calculate the speed of the second ball after the collision. The mass of each ball is denoted as "m" in this case. Before the collision, the momentum is given by: mu + M*0 = mv + mV.

Substituting the values where u = 4m/s, M = 0, v = 0, and solving for V, we get V = 4m/s. This means that the second ball will move with a speed of 4m/s after the collision, in the exact opposite direction of the first ball's initial velocity.

This experiment showcases the principles of momentum and conservation of energy in action. It demonstrates how the interaction between two objects can lead to predictable outcomes based on fundamental laws of physics. It is truly fascinating to see these concepts come to life through simple yet insightful experiments like a billiard ball collision.

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