The Speed of the Shark After Swallowing a Fish

What is the speed of the shark after it swallows the fish?

Given data: A 5-kg shark swimming at 1 m/s swallows an absent-minded 1-kg fish swimming toward it at 4 m/s.

What will be the shark's speed after it has eaten the fish?

The speed of the shark after consuming the fish is?

The speed of the shark after it has swallowed the 1-kg fish swimming toward it at 4 m/s is 3 m/s.

When a 5-kg shark swimming at 1 m/s swallows a 1-kg fish swimming toward it at 4 m/s, the speed of the shark after consuming the fish is crucial to determine. By applying the principle of conservation of momentum, we can calculate this speed change.

Momentum is a fundamental concept in physics that remains constant in a closed system. In this case, the momentum of the shark before eating the fish is 5 kg⋅m/s due to its velocity of 1 m/s. After the shark ingests the fish, the momentum becomes 6 kg⋅m/s, considering the addition of the fish's momentum of 4 kg⋅m/s.

As the total momentum must be conserved, the velocity of the shark post-meal will adjust to keep the momentum balance intact. Since the shark's mass remains constant, its velocity needs to change to maintain momentum conservation. Therefore, the velocity of the shark after consuming the fish is 3 m/s.