Problems

9-37. Find the center of mass of a pentagon with five equal sides of length a, but with one triangle missing
(Figure below). (Position of the missing triangles top vertex is equal to the center of complete
pentagon.)

9-44. A firecracker, initially at rest, explodes into two fragments. The first, of mass 14 g, moves in the +x-
direction at 43 m/s. The second moves at 30m/s. Find the second fragments mass and the direction of
its motion.

9-57. Mass m, moving at speed 2v, approaches mass 4m, moving at speed v. The two collide elastically
head-on. Find expressions for their subsequent speeds. (Each moving in same direction.)

9-72. An object collides elastically with an equal-mass object initially at rest. If the collision isnt head-on,
show that the final velocity vectors are perpendicular.

9-81. A 14 kg projectile is launched at 380 m/s at a 55 angle to the horizontal. At the peak of its trajectory
it collides with a second projectile moving horizontally, in the opposite direction, at 140 m/s. The two
stick together and land 9.4 km horizontally downrange from the first projectiles launch point. Find the
mass of the second projectile.
Solutions

9-37.

Considering pentagon consist of 5 equal triangles, center of mass for incomplete pentagon is
1 + 2 + 3 + 4
=
4

since each triangle has equal mass. From knowledge that center of mass of uniform triangle is center of
triangle. So center of mass is just average of 4 point (center of each triangle). If one set origin as center of
2
pentagon, amplitude of each center of triangle is tan54 = tan54 and direction is pointing -18, 54,
3 2 3
180+18 and 180-54. By symmetry, one only need to calculate y-direction.
1
= ( tan54) (2sin18 + 2sin54) = tan54 = 0.11469849337
4 3 12
It is easier to solve it exploiting the fact that center of mass of pentagon is at origin.
(1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 ) 5 5 1
= = 0 = tan54
4 4 4 3
Which gives same answer.

9-44.

In the sense of momentum conservation, momentum before explosion and after must agree. Since a
firecracker was stationary and no external force was done, net momentum of system is zero. Now, one
fragment has momentum 1443gm/s. On the other hand, the other fragment moves at 30m/s with
unknown mass, m. amplitude of its momentum vector is then m30gm/s. Since two momentum must
cancel out to satisfy momentum conservation, direction must be minus x-direction and mass is calculated
as below.
14 43g m/s
= = 20.06g
30m/s
9-57.

Momentum before and after is 2 + 4 = 6.

1 1
Energy before and after is 4 2 + 4 2 = 4 2 .
2 2

One can set momentum of each masses as p and p-6mv to satisfy momentum conservation. Then energy
after collision is

2 ( 6)2 52 12 + 362 2
+ = = 4 2
2 2 4 8
2
Solving this quadratic equation for p, solution is either 2 or . The former is just momentum
5
before collision, leaving latter as solution one looking for. It is easy to calculate their speed from
momentum.
2 7
1 = 2 =
5 5

9-72.

In this case, momentum of each objects are illustrated as follow.

This expression already satisfies momentum conservation and that of energy now should be considered.

Energy before and after is (masses and 1/2 are dropped out)

2 = ( 2 + 2 ) + {( )2 + 2 }

0 = + 2 + 2

= =

ratios of x and y component of each object after collision are reciprocal and have different signs. This
confirms two vectors are perpendicular.
9-81.

From shooting angle and initial speed, one can calculate vertical speed of projectile and related time
interval t from shooting and the time when projectile reached peak.
( 0) 380/ sin55
= = = 31.763038452
9.8/ 2

Horizontal position at peak is then

380/ sin55
= 380/ cos55 = 6923.04155314
9.8/ 2

At this time, by inelastic collision, horizontal speed is changed. Considering momentum conservation,

= 14 380/ cos55 kg 140m/s = (14 + )

Since no change in vertical velocity vector, falling time is equal to t. can be calculated using t.

9400 6923.04155314 2476.95844686

= = / = 77.98241502 /
31.763038452
Put this in momentum conservation,
14 380/ cos55 14
= = 8.99
140/ +