Final answer:
A successful tackle constitutes a perfectly inelastic collision because the players stick together and move as one unit after the collision. The final velocity of the combined players is approximately 0.8919 m/s.
Step-by-step explanation:
A successful tackle in this scenario constitutes a perfectly inelastic collision because the two players stick together and move as a single unit after the collision. In a perfectly inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved because some of it is lost as heat or sound.
In this case, the fullback and the opponent collide and stick together after the tackle. The combined mass of the two players is 185.0 kg. To find their final velocity, we can use the conservation of momentum principle, which states that the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. Assuming the fullback runs in the positive x-direction and the opponent runs in the negative y-direction, we can calculate the final velocity using the equation:
m1v1 + m2v2 = (m1 + m2)v
where m1 = mass of the fullback, v1 = initial velocity of the fullback, m2 = mass of the opponent, v2 = initial velocity of the opponent, and v = final velocity of the combined players.
Plugging in the values:
(90.0 kg)(5.00 m/s) + (95.0 kg)(-3.00 m/s) = (185.0 kg)v
Simplifying the equation:
450.0 kg·m/s - 285.0 kg·m/s = (185.0 kg)v
165.0 kg·m/s = (185.0 kg)v
v = 0.8919 m/s
Therefore, the final velocity of the combined players is approximately 0.8919 m/s.