A 328-kg car moving at 19.1 m/s in the +x direction hits from behind a second car moving at $13.0 \mathrm {~m} / \mathrm { s }$ in the same direction. If the second car has a mass of $790 \mathrm {~kg}$ and a speed of $15.1 \mathrm {~m} / \mathrm { s }$ right after the collision, what is the velocity of the first car after this sudden collision?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the conservation of momentum: $m_1v_{1i} + m_2v_{2i} = m_1v_{1f} + m_2v_{2f}$. Plugging in the values: $328 \times 19.1 + 790 \times 13.0 = 328 \times v_{1f} + 790 \times 15.1$. Solving for $v_{1f}$ gives approximately 14.0 m/s.

A 328-Kg Car Moving at 19 13.0 m/s13.0 \mathrm {~m} / \mathrm { s }13.0 m/s

A 328-Kg Car Moving at 19 $13.0 \mathrm {~m} / \mathrm { s }$