Physics
Physics
Problem
An eagle of mass 3.9 kg flying horizontally eastwards at a speed of collides with a seagull of mass 1.8 kg flying horizontally southwards at a speed of . On collision, the eagle holds the seagull firmly in its claws. (a) Calculate the speed at which the two birds move after the collision. (b) In which direction do the two birds move after the collision? (c) Determine whether the collision was elastic or inelastic.Intuitive explanation
This is a 2D collision problem where momentum is conserved in both directions independently. The key insight is to treat the eastward and southward motions separately: find the total momentum in each direction before collision, then use those components to find the combined velocity (magnitude and direction) of the eagle–seagull system afterward. Since the birds stick together, this is a perfectly inelastic collision—momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not.
Intuitive explanation
This is a 2D collision problem where momentum is conserved in both directions independently. The key insight is to treat the eastward and southward motions separately: find the total momentum in each direction before collision, then use those components to find the combined velocity (magnitude and direction) of the eagle–seagull system afterward. Since the birds stick together, this is a perfectly inelastic collision—momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not.