A 1200-kg car moving at $15.6 \mathrm {~m} / \mathrm { s }$ suddenly collides with a stationary car of mass $1500 \mathrm {~kg} \text {. }$ If the two vehicles lock together, what is their combined velocity immediately after the collision?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the principle of conservation of momentum, the total momentum before the collision equals the total momentum after the collision. The initial momentum is $1200 \, \text{kg} \times 15.6 \, \text{m/s} = 18720 \, \text{kg m/s}$. The final momentum is $(1200 \, \text{kg} + 1500 \, \text{kg}) \times v = 2700 \, \text{kg} \times v$. Solving for $v$, we get $v = \frac{18720}{2700} \approx 6.9 \, \text{m/s}$.

A 1200-Kg Car Moving At 15.6 m/s15.6 \mathrm {~m} / \mathrm { s }15.6 m/s

A 1200-Kg Car Moving At $15.6 \mathrm {~m} / \mathrm { s }$