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)6.9 m/s
B)8.6 m/s
C)12.1 m/s
D)5.5 m/s

Question

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)6.9 m/s
B)8.6 m/s
C)12.1 m/s
D)5.5 m/s

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The combined velocity can be found using the conservation of momentum principle. The total momentum before the collision equals the total momentum after the collision. Before the collision, the momentum is $1200 \, \text{kg} \times 15.6 \, \text{m/s}$, and the stationary car has zero momentum. After the collision, the combined mass is $1200 \, \text{kg} + 1500 \, \text{kg} = 2700 \, \text{kg}$. Setting the initial momentum equal to the final momentum, $1200 \times 15.6 = 2700 \times v$, solving for $v$ gives approximately $6.9 \, \text{m/s}$.

A 1200-Kg Car Moving at 15