Question

a billiard ball moves with 3 kg·m/s of momentum and strikes three other billiard balls. what is the total momentum of the balls after the collision? (1 point)

it depends on the mass of each ball.

less than 3 kg·m/s

3 kg·m/s

more than 3 kg·m/s

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Momentum Conservation

In a closed system (no external forces), the total momentum before a collision equals the total momentum after the collision. Here, the billiard balls form a system (assuming no external forces like friction are significant), so initial total momentum is \(3\ \text{kg·m/s}\).

Step2: Analyze Collision

The initial momentum is from one ball with \(3\ \text{kg·m/s}\). After collision, the total momentum of all balls (the system) should conserve, so it remains \(3\ \text{kg·m/s}\), regardless of individual masses (since momentum conservation depends on system, not individual masses here).

Answer:

\(3\ \text{kg·m/s}\) (corresponding to the option: \(3\ \text{kg·m/s}\))