A ball horizontally hits a wall at 5m/s and bounces back at -5m/s. The total momentum before is 1 kgm/s and after is -1 kgm/s. Is momentum conservation broken down in this example???
Reason???
PLEASE HELP
The earth moved a little :)
In fact it moved forward just as much as it moved back when I thew the ball :)
and then caught it !
In order to determine if momentum conservation is broken down in this example, we need to understand the principle of momentum conservation.
According to the principle of momentum conservation, the total momentum of a closed system remains constant before and after a collision, as long as no external forces act on the system. In other words, the total momentum is conserved.
In this scenario, we have a ball hitting a wall horizontally. Let's examine the situation step by step:
1. Before the collision:
- The ball approaches the wall with a velocity of 5 m/s.
- The ball and the wall together form a closed system.
- The initial momentum of the system is defined as 1 kgm/s, which means the ball has mass 1 kg.
2. During the collision:
- The ball collides with the wall and bounces back.
- Since the ball bounces back with a velocity of -5 m/s, the direction of its velocity changes, indicating a negative value.
3. After the collision:
- The ball moves away from the wall with a velocity of -5 m/s.
- The ball and the wall still form a closed system.
- The final momentum of the system is defined as -1 kgm/s, which means the ball has a mass of -1 kg.
Now, let's analyze if momentum conservation holds in this case:
- Total momentum before collision = 1 kgm/s
- Total momentum after collision = -1 kgm/s
The total momentum before and after the collision is not equal, indicating a significant difference. Therefore, momentum conservation appears to be violated in this example.
Reason:
The reason momentum conservation is broken down in this example is likely due to the presence of external forces acting on the system during the collision. These external forces could include friction between the ball and the wall, air resistance, or other factors that are not accounted for in the given information.
It's important to note that if we were considering an idealized situation where no external forces are present, the momentum conservation principle would hold true. However, in real-world scenarios, external forces can have a significant impact and cause deviations from ideal conservation.