A 1200 kg car is moving at 5.0 m/s EAST. It strikes an 1800 kg car at rest. The cars undergo an elastic collision and move in the EAST or WEST direction. The magnitude of the relative velocity between the cars after the collision is

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In an elastic collision, the relative speed between two objects before and after the collision remains the same. Since the initial relative speed between the two cars was 5.0 m/s (the speed of the moving car), the magnitude of the relative velocity between the cars after the collision will also be 5.0 m/s.

A 1200 Kg Car Is Moving at 5