Question

A 620 kg moose is standing in the middle of a train track. A 10,000 kg train moving at 10 m/s is unable to stop and the moose ends up riding the cowcatcher down the track. What type of interaction is this, and what is the new combined velocity

Answer 1

This is an example of Inelastic colission

Step-by-step explanation:

Step one:

given:

mass of moose m1 = 620 kg

mass of train m2= 10,000kg

Initial velocity of moose u1= 0 m/s

Initial velocity of train v1 = 10m/s

combined velocity of the system is given as v

Applying the conservation of momentum equation we have

m1u1+ m2u1= (m1+m2)V

substitutting we have

620*0+10000*10= (620+10000)V

100000= 10620V

divide both sides by 10620

V = 100000/10620

V=9.41m/s

The velocity of the moose after impact is 9.41m/s