Randall D. Knight — Impulse and Momentum: Problem 13

Two balls of clay of known masses hang from the ceiling on massless strings of equal length. They barely touch when both hang at rest. One ball is pulled back until its string is at 45°, then released. It swings down, collides with the second ball, and they stick together. To determine the angle to which the balls swing on the opposite side, would you invoke (a) conservation of momentum, (b) conservation of mechanical energy, (c) both, (d) either but not both, or (e) these laws alone are not sufficient to find the angle? Explain.