Two cars collide head-on on a level friction-free road. The collision was completely inelastic and both cars quickly came to rest during the collision. What is true about the velocity of this system's center of mass?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a completely inelastic collision where both cars come to rest, the total momentum of the system is conserved and must have been zero before the collision, meaning the velocity of the center of mass was always zero.

Two Cars Collide Head-On on a Level Friction-Free Road