Physics 2016 JAMB Past Questions - Question 29: A particle of mass M which is at rest splits up into two .if the mass and velocity of one of the particles are m and v respectively, calculate the velocity of the second particle

Correct Answer

B

Explanation

To solve this problem, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum. According to this principle, the total momentum before the split must be equal to the total momentum after the split.

Since the particle is at rest initially, its momentum is zero. After the split, we have two particles with masses m and M - m, and velocities v and v2, respectively.

Using the conservation of momentum, we can write:

0 = mv + (M - m)v2

Simplifying the equation, we get:

mv = (M - m)v2

Now, we can solve for v2:

v2 = (mv) / (M - m)

Therefore, the velocity of the second particle is given by v2 = (mv) / (M - m).