Physics

To solve this, we will use the principle of conservation of momentum. Since the two cars collide inelastically and stick together, the total momentum of the system before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the 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, negative because it is moving in the opposite direction)

is the final velocity of the combined system after the collision.

 

Now, substitute the known values into the equation:

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