Two particles A and B, of mass 2 kg and 3 kg respectively; are moving towards each other in opposite directions along the same straight line on a smooth horizontal surface - Edexcel - A-Level Maths Mechanics - Question 1 - 2013 - Paper 2

For the speed of B immediately after the collision, we can apply the conservation of momentum as outlined previously.

From the previous calculations:

egin{align*} m_A v_{A ext{ before}} + m_B v_{B ext{ before}} &= m_A v_{A ext{ after}} + m_B v_{B ext{ after}} \ 2 imes 5 + 3 imes (-6) &= 2v_A + 3v_B \ 10 - 18 &= 2v_A + 3v_B \ -8 &= 2v_A + 3v_B \ \rightarrow -8 = -40 + 3v_B \ \rightarrow 3v_B = 32 \ \rightarrow v_B = \frac{32}{3} \approx 10.67 ext{ m s}^{-1} \ \end{align*}

Thus, the speed of particle B immediately after the collision is approximately 10.67 m s⁻¹.