A lump of clay of mass travelling with a velocity , towards east collides head on with another lump of clay of mass travelling with velocity of towards west. If the two lumps coalesce after collision, what is its velocity if no external force acts on the system?
towards east.
Step 1: Given data
Mass of lump of clay,
The velocity of the lump of clay before the collision, , towards the west which is positive.
Mass of another lump of clay,
The velocity of another lump of clay, , towards east which is negative.
Step 2: Find the velocity of two lumps after the collision,
Since both masses are coalesced after collision hence, applying the conservation of momentum,
Putting the given values,
Hence, option is the correct option.