---
title: "A \\(20 \\, \\text{g}\\) piece of clay moving at a speed of \\(50 \\, \\text{m/s}\\) strikes a \\(500 \\, \\text{g}\\) pendulum bob at rest. The length of a string is \\(0.8 \\, \\text{m}\\). After the collision, the clay-bob system starts to oscillate as a simple pendulum."
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/28699/"
date_modified: "2025-12-01T06:31:56+00:00"
---

# A \(20 \, \text{g}\) piece of clay moving at a speed of \(50 \, \text{m/s}\) strikes a \(500 \, \text{g}\) pendulum bob at rest. The length of a string is \(0.8 \, \text{m}\). After the collision, the clay-bob system starts to oscillate as a simple pendulum.

A \(20 \, \text{g}\) piece of clay moving at a speed of \(50 \, \text{m/s}\) strikes a \(500 \, \text{g}\) pendulum bob at rest. The length of a string is \(0.8 \, \text{m}\). After the collision, the clay-bob system starts to oscillate as a simple pendulum.

![Diagram](https://nerd-notes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-24-at-5.57.14-PM-300x267.png)

**Part a)** What is the speed of the clay-bob system after the collision? *(3 points)*

**Part b)** What is the maximum angular displacement of the pendulum? *(3 points)*

**Part c)** What is the period of the clay-bob oscillating system? Treat this system as a simple pendulum with a small oscillation, regardless of the answer you got in part B. *(3 points)*

**Part d)** What is the total energy of the oscillating system? *(3 points)*


*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/28699/*