A 1200-kg car moving at 15.6 m/s suddenly collides with a stationary car of mass 1500 kg. If the two vehicles lock together, what is their combined velocity immediately after the collision?
A) 8.6 m/s
B) 5.5 m/s
C) 6.9 m/s
D) 12.1 m/s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The conservation of momentum principle states that the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. The initial momentum is $1200 \, \text{kg} \times 15.6 \, \text{m/s}$, and the total mass after the collision is $1200 \, \text{kg} + 1500 \, \text{kg} = 2700 \, \text{kg}$. Using the formula for momentum ($p = mv$), we can solve for the velocity after the collision: $\frac{1200 \times 15.6}{2700} = 6.9 \, \text{m/s}$.

A 1200-Kg Car Moving at 15