IP A charging bull elephant with a mass of 5240 kg comes | StudySoup

Textbook Solutions for Physics with MasteringPhysics

Chapter 9 Problem 39P

Question

Problem 39P

IP A charging bull elephant with a mass of 5240 kg comes directly toward you with a speed of 4.55 m/s. You toss a 0.150-kg rubber ball at the elephant with a speed of 7.81 m/s. (a) When the ball bounces back toward you, what is its speed? (b) How do you account for the fact that the ball's kinetic energy has increased?

Solution

a.)

Step 1 of 3

We have to find the speed of the ball when it bounces back to us.

The ball and the elephant are moving towards each other, and then an elastic collision occurs sending the ball back along the direction it came from. In order to get the ball’s final speed a frame of reference is established wherein the observer is moving with the ball as it approaches the elephant.

Thus, the ball in the situation is initially at rest and the equation for velocities masses after the collision is used.

This will become the basis in finding the elephant’s initial speed, ball’s final speed . Switching back to real situation in order to solve for the ball’s final speed. Therefore,

Where,

initial speed of the elephant in

          relative to the ground

initial speed of the elephant in

           relative to the ball

initial speed of the ball relative to

           the ground

So,

Substituting 4.55 m/s for  and m/s for

         

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full solution

Title Physics with MasteringPhysics 4 
Author James S. Walker
ISBN 9780321541635

IP A charging bull elephant with a mass of 5240 kg comes

Chapter 9 textbook questions

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