Two cars, one of mass 1000 kg moving at 20 m/s and another of mass 1500 kg at rest, collide and stick together. What is their final velocity?
Options
A
8 m/s
B
10 m/s
C
12 m/s
D
16 m/s
Answer & Analysis
Answer
A
Analysis
To solve this, we can use the principle of
conservation of momentum. Since the two cars stick together after the
collision, this is a perfectly inelastic collision.
The formula for momentum conservation is:
Where:
(mass of the
first car)
(velocity of the first
car)
(mass of the
second car)
(velocity of the
second car, since it is at rest)
is the final velocity of both cars
after the collision.
Now, substitute the known values into the
equation:
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