Answer to Question #233605 in Classical Mechanics for nina

Question

Suppose now that the momentum of the ball also has a y-component before it collides elastically with the wall. After the collision the x-component of the ball’s momentum changes but its y-component does not. If the momentum of the ball before the collision is ~p = px ˆi + py ˆj, what is its momentum after the collision. 

Answer 1

According to the conditions of the problem, the impulse is elastic - correspondingly, the impulse after stopping is equal to ~p

Answer: ~p