An object of mass M₁ is moving with a speed v on a straight,level,frictionless track when it collides with another mass M₂ that is at rest on the track.After the collision,M₁ and M₂ stick together and move with a speed of A)v B)M₁v C)(M₁ + M₂)v/M₁ D)M₁v/(M₁ + M₂) E)M₁v/M₂

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is a conservation of momentum problem. The total momentum before the collision (mass of the first object times its velocity) must equal the total momentum after the collision (combined mass of both objects times their new velocity). The correct formula that represents this situation is $ \frac{m_1v}{(m_1 + m_2)} $, where $ m_1 $ is the mass of the first object, $ m_2 $ is the mass of the second object, and $ v $ is the initial velocity of the first object.

An Object of Mass M1 Is Moving with a Speed

An Object of Mass M₁ Is Moving with a Speed