Inelastic collisions in two dimensions: A car heading north collides at an intersection with a truck of the same mass as the car heading east. If they lock together and travel at 28 m/s at 46° north of east just after the collision, how fast was the car initially traveling? Assume that any other unbalanced forces are negligible.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The momentum in the north direction is conserved. The car's initial momentum (mass * velocity) equals the combined mass's momentum in the north direction after the collision. Solving for the car's velocity gives 40 m/s.

Inelastic Collisions in Two Dimensions: a Car Heading North Collides