Two stars each of mass 
and radius 
are approaching each other for a head-on collision. They start approaching each other when their separation is 
. If their speeds at this separation are negligible, the speed 
with which they collide would be
Text Solution
Verified by ExpertsB
Since the speeds of the stars are negligible when they are at a distance 
, hence the initial kinetic energy of the system is zero. Therefore, the initial total energy of the system is
where 
represents the mass of each star and 
is initial separation between them.
When two stars collide their centres will be at a distance twice the radius of a star i.e. 
.
Let 
be the speed with which two stars collide. Then total energy of the system at the instant of their collision is given by
According to law of conservation of mechanical energy,
or 
or 
Prepare Smarter with CGP Edu
Get practice questions, solutions, and test series in one place.
Write a Review
Share your experience with this question and solution.
Commentary
Send your comment, doubt, correction, or feedback to admin.
Similar Questions
Explore conceptually related problems