A small rock passes a massive star, following the path shown in red on the diagr

Question

A small rock passes a massive star, following the path shown in red on the diagram above. When the rock is a distance 2.9e+13 m (indicated as d_1 on the diagram) from the center of the star, the magnitude of its momentum p_1 is 1.45e+17 kg middot m/s, and the angle alpha is 129 degrees. At a later time, when the rock is a distance d_2 = 8.12e+12 m from the center of the star, it is heading in the -y direction. There are no other massive objects nearby. What is the magnitude of the momentum p_2? p_2 = kg middot m/s

Explanation / Answer

here

the angular momentum will be conserved

angular momentum = p * d * sin(theta)

d1 * p1 * sin(129deg) = d2 * pf * sin90

( 2.9 * 10^13) * (1.45 * 10^17) * sin(129deg) = (8.12 * 10^12) * pf * sin(90deg)

solve for pf

pf = 4.0245 * 10^17 kg m/s

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