Question

A thin metal rod of mass 1.7 kg and length 0.9 m is at rest in outer space, near a space station (see figure below). A tiny meteorite with mass 0.09 kg traveling at a high speed of 245 m/s strikes the rod a distance 0.2 m from the center and bounces off with speed 60 m/s as shown in the diagram. The magnitudes of the initial and final angles to the x axis of the small mass's velocity are thetai = 26° and thetaf = 82°. (a) Afterward, what is the velocity of the center of the rod? (Express your answer in vector form.) vCM = m/s (b) Afterward, what is the angular velocity of the rod? (Express your answer in vector form.) = rad/s (c) What is the increase in internal energy of the objects? J

Answer 1

The question is a physics problem involving linear and angular momentum conservation during a collision in space, and considerations of changes in kinetic energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The physics problem posed by the student involves concepts of conservation of linear and angular momentum, as well as kinetic energy considerations in a collision between a meteorite and a metal rod in space. To solve such a problem, we use the principle that the total linear momentum and angular momentum before and after a collision are conserved in the absence of external forces or torques. For the kinetic energy, however, unless the collision is perfectly elastic, some energy is typically converted into internal energy, such as sound, heat, or deformation.