Chapter 9 - Center of Mass and Linear Momentum - Questions - Page 246: 10

Graph (a), graph (c), graph (e), and graph (f) represent a physically impossible situation because they do not correspond with the conservation of linear momentum.

Graph (a) represents a physically impossible situation because the total linear momentum after the explosion is greater than the initial linear momentum before the explosion. Graph (c) represents a physically impossible situation because the magnitude of the total linear momentum after the explosion is greater than the magnitude of the initial linear momentum before the explosion. Graph (e) represents a physically impossible situation because the total linear momentum after the explosion is negative while the initial linear momentum before the explosion is positive. Graph (f) represents a physically impossible situation because the total linear momentum after the explosion is greater than the initial linear momentum before the explosion. These four graphs do not correspond with the conservation of linear momentum.