Edexcel M2 — Question 7

Exam BoardEdexcel
ModuleM2 (Mechanics 2)
TopicMomentum and Collisions 1

7. Particle \(A\) of mass 7 kg is moving with speed \(u _ { 1 }\) on a smooth horizontal surface when it collides directly with particle \(B\) of mass 4 kg moving in the same direction as \(A\) with speed \(u _ { 2 }\). After the impact, \(A\) continues to move in the same direction but its speed has been halved. Given that the coefficient of restitution between the particles is \(e\),
  1. show that \(8 u _ { 2 } ( e + 1 ) = u _ { 1 } ( 8 e - 3 )\). Given also that \(u _ { 1 } = 14 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\) and \(u _ { 2 } = 3 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\),
  2. find \(e\),
  3. show that the percentage of the kinetic energy of the particles lost as a result of the impact is \(9.6 \%\), correct to 2 significant figures.