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Homework Statement
A 7 kg glider on an air track starts with an initial velocity of 32 m/s and then runs into a 2 kg glider which is initially at rest. During the collision, which glider has a larger magnitude change in momentum?
Homework Equations
It's a new chapter and the teacher wants us to read before the class, alas he makes us do a quiz . I'm not really sure of my answer below. It is a free-response quiz.
The Attempt at a Solution
Each glider applies an equal and opposite force, but the smaller glider will undergo a larger acceleration as acceleration is inversely proportional to the mass. Both objects experience a different change in momentum due to the different accelerations experienced by both gliders. But momentum is conserved. This means the total change in momentum of the two glider system is zero. The vector addition of the momentum vectors (after collision) of each glider will be equal in magnitude and direction to the initial momentum vector (before the collision).