Speed of Block Before Leaving Second Inclined Plane
Paragraph for Question Nos. 44 to 46
A small block of mass moves on a frictionless surface of an inclined plane, as shown in figure.

The angle of the incline suddenly changes from to at point . The block is initially at rest at . Assume that collisions between the block and the incline are totally inelastic ().
The speed of the block at point , immediately before it leaves the second incline is
Options
Topics & Concepts
Step-by-Step Solution
To find the speed of the block at point , we analyze the motion of the block in three stages:
1. Motion along the first incline from to :
The first incline is at an angle of to the horizontal.
The horizontal distance between points and is given as .
The vertical height fallen by the block from to is:
Since the block is released from rest at on a frictionless surface, its speed just before reaching is obtained using the work-energy theorem:
The velocity vector is directed along the first incline at an angle of below the horizontal.
2. Inelastic collision at point :
The second incline is inclined at an angle of to the horizontal.
The angle between the two inclines is:
During the totally inelastic collision at point :
- The normal component of velocity relative to the second incline becomes zero.
- Since the incline is frictionless, there is no impulsive force parallel to the second incline, so the component of velocity along the second incline is conserved.
Thus, the speed of the block immediately after striking the second incline is:
3. Motion along the second incline from to :
The horizontal distance between points and is .
The vertical height fallen by the block from to is:
Since the surface from to is frictionless, mechanical energy is conserved:
Dividing both sides by :
Therefore, the correct option is B.