Directions: Select the best possible answer from the choices A-D. Guessing will not (on average) reduce your score, but if you have no idea how to work a problem, leave it blank and I'll give you the expected ¼ point.

This is a timed test. Your start time is: 3:05

Your Name:

Ballistic Pendulum

A red sphere (of mass m) and a blue sphere (of mass 5m) are attached to the ceiling by massless strings of identical length forming twin pendulums of length L. The red sphere is drawn to the left so that its center of mass has been raised a distance h and is then released. As the red sphere moves back through equilibrium it hits and adheres to the blue sphere. The combined system swings to the right, eventually reaching some maximum height before returning to equilibrium.

  1. What was the speed of the red sphere just after its collision?
    1. (1/2) its speed before the collision
    2. (1/5) its speed before the collision
    3. (2/5) its speed before the collision
    4. (1/6) its speed before the collision 
    A B C D

  2. Aside from the moment of the collision, the acceleration of the red sphere is largest:
    1. at the time of release
    2. just before the collision
    3. just after the collision
    4. when the combined spheres reach their maximum height 
    A B C D
    The next random number would have been: .54935