Explanation:
It is given that,
The total mass of the wagon, rider and the rock is 99 kg
The mass of the rock is 0.261 kg.
The initial speed of the wagon, u = 0.519 m/s
Speed of the rock, u' = 15.9 m/s
(a) Let v is the speed of the wagon after the rock is thrown directly in forward direction.
The momentum will remain constant. Using the conservation of momentum as :
[tex]99\times 0.261=0.261\times 15.9+(99-0.261)v[/tex]
v = 0.22 m/s
(b) Let v' is the speed of the wagon after the rock is thrown directly in opposite direction, u' = -15.9 m/s
[tex]99\times 0.261=0.261\times (-15.9)+(99-0.261)v[/tex]
v' = 0.304 m/s
Hence, this is the required solution.
