A small mass slides to the right with a velocity of v and hits a much larger stationary mass on a horizontal frictionless floor. Consider two scenarios:
Scenario 1: the small mass sticks to the larger mass right after the collision and moves to the right together as part of a two-mass system.
Scenario 2: the small mass bounces off the larger mass right after the collision and moves to the left, while the larger mass moves to the right.
Which of the following statements is true?
- The larger mass at the end of scenario 2 moves faster than it would in scenario 1.
- The larger mass at the end of scenario 1 moves faster than it would in scenario 2.
- The larger mass has the same speed after scenarios 1 and 2 .
- The total linear momentum of the two-mass system is not conserved in scenario 1.
- The total linear momentum of the two-mass system is not conserved in scenario 2.