Afirecracker breaks up into several pieces, one of which has a mass of 200 g and flies off along the x-axis with a speed of 82.0 m/s. a second piece has a mass of 300 g and flies off along the y-axis with a speed of 45.0 m/s. what are the magnitude and direction of the total momentum of these two pieces? a firecracker breaks up into several pieces, one of which has a mass of 200 g and flies off along the -axis with a speed of 82.0 m/s. a second piece has a mass of 300 g and flies off along the -axis with a speed of 45.0 m/s. what are the magnitude and direction of the total momentum of these two pieces? 361 kg·m/s at 0.983° from the x-axis361 kg·m/s at 56.3° from the x-axis93.5 kg·m/s at 28.8° from the x-axis21.2 kg·m/s at 39.5° from the x-axis21.2 kg·m/s at 56.3° from the x-axis

The magnitude of the total momentum is 21.2 kg m/s and its direction is 39.5° from the x-axis.

Explanation:

Hi there!

The total momentum is calculated as the sum of the momenta of the pieces.

The momentum of each piece is calculated as follows:

p = m · v

Where:

p = momentum.

m =  mass.

v = velocity.

The momentum is a vector. The 200 g-piece flies along the x-axis then, its momentum will be:

p = (m · v, 0)

p = (0.200 kg · 82.0 m/s, 0)

p = (16.4 kg m/s, 0)

The 300 g-piece flies along the y-axis. Its momentum vector will be:

p =(0, m · v)

p = (0, 0.300 kg · 45.0 m/s)

p = (0, 13.5 kg m/s)

The total momentum is the sum of each momentum:

Total momentum = (16.4 kg m/s, 0) + (0, 13.5 kg m/s)

Total momentum = (16.4 kg m/s + 0, 0 + 13.5 kg m/s)

Total momentum = (16.4 kg m/s, 13.5 kg m/s)

The magnitude of the total momentum is calculated as follows:

The direction of the momentum vector is calculated using trigonometry:

cos θ = px/p

Where px is the horizontal component of the total momentum and p is the magnitude of the total momentum.

cos θ = 16.4 kg m/s / 21.2 kg m/s

θ = 39.3  (39.5° if we do not round the magnitude of the total momentum)

Then, the magnitude of the total momentum is 21.2 kg m/s and its direction is 39.5° from the x-axis.