The mass of a particular eagle is twice that of a hunted pigeon. Suppose the pigeon is flying north at ,2=17.1 m/s when the eagle swoops down, grabs the pigeon, and flies off. At the instant right before the attack, the eagle is flying toward the pigeon at an angle =52.7 ° below the horizontal and a speed of ,1=41.5 m/s.

The speed of the eagle at that instant is 31.4 m/s while it moves off in the direction of 44.4°.

Since momentum is conserved horizontally;

17.1 m/s + 2 (41.5 m/s) (cos -52.7°) = 3 vx

vx = 17.1 m/s + 2 (41.5 m/s) (cos -52.7°)/3

vx =  22.5 m/s

Also, momentum is conserved vertically hence;

2 (41.5 m/s) (sin -52.7°) = 3 vy

vy = 2 (41.5 m/s) (sin -52.7°) /3

vy =  -22.0 m/s

The effective speed therefore, is;

v = √((22.5 m/s)² + (-22.0 m/s)²)

v = 31.4 m/s

The direction of this effective speed is;

θ = tan-1(22.0 m/s / 22.5 m/s)

θ = 44.4°

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31.4 m/s

44.4°

Explanation:

Momentum is conserved in the horizontal direction:

pₓᵢ = pₓ

m vᵢ₂ + 2m vᵢ₁ cos θ = (m + 2m) vₓ

vᵢ₂ + 2 vᵢ₁ cos θ = 3 vₓ

17.1 m/s + 2 (41.5 m/s) (cos -52.7°) = 3 vₓ

vₓ = 22.5 m/s

Momentum is conserved in the vertical direction:

pᵧᵢ = pᵧ

2m vᵢ₁ sin θ = (m + 2m) vᵧ

2 vᵢ₁ sin θ = 3 vᵧ

2 (41.5 m/s) (sin -52.7°) = 3 vᵧ

vᵧ = -22.0 m/s

The speed is:

v = √(vₓ² + vᵧ²)

v = √((22.5 m/s)² + (-22.0 m/s)²)

v = 31.4 m/s

The direction is:

θ = atan(vᵧ / vₓ)

θ = atan(-22.0 m/s / 22.5 m/s)

θ = -44.4°

b would be the answer