A body of mass 1 kg collides head on elastically with a stationary body of mass 3 kg. After collision, the smaller body reverses its direction of motion and moves with a speed of 2m/s. The initial speed of the smaller body before collision is ____ ms−1.
Answer: 4
Solution
In a head-on elastic collision with a stationary target, the rebound speed of the incoming body is v1′=m1+m2m1−m2u1=41−3u1=−2u1. The minus sign shows the reversal, and its size equals the given 2m/s, so 2u1=2. The smaller body approached at 4m/s.
JEE Main · 2023 · 25 Jan 2023 · Shift 2 · Integer answer