What's Missing
* The mass of the absent-minded bird: We need to know how much the bird weighs to calculate the total mass after the fish eats it.
* The bird's initial speed: We need to know the bird's speed before being eaten to determine how the fish's speed changes.
Understanding the Concepts
* Conservation of Momentum: In a closed system, the total momentum before a collision equals the total momentum after the collision. Momentum is calculated as mass times velocity (p = mv).
How to Solve (with Assumptions)
Let's assume the following:
* Mass of the bird (mb): Let's say the bird weighs 1 kg.
* Initial speed of the bird (vb): Let's assume the bird was stationary (vb = 0 m/s).
Calculations
1. Initial momentum of the fish:
* pfish = mfish * vfish = 5 kg * 1 m/s = 5 kg m/s
2. Initial momentum of the bird:
* pbird = mbird * vbird = 1 kg * 0 m/s = 0 kg m/s
3. Total initial momentum:
* pinitial = pfish + pbird = 5 kg m/s + 0 kg m/s = 5 kg m/s
4. Total mass after the fish eats the bird:
* mtotal = mfish + mbird = 5 kg + 1 kg = 6 kg
5. Final velocity of the combined fish/bird:
* pinitial = pfinal
* 5 kg m/s = (6 kg) * vfinal
* vfinal = 5 kg m/s / 6 kg = 0.83 m/s (approximately)
Therefore, assuming the bird has a mass of 1 kg and was initially stationary, the larger fish/bird combination would have a speed of approximately 0.83 m/s after the fish eats the bird.
Important Note: This calculation assumes that the fish and bird move together as one object after the bird is swallowed. In reality, the fish might need time to digest the bird, and the motion could be more complex.