Question

A car traveling 25 m/s to the north collides with a car traveling 15 m/s to the south. Each car has a mass of 1100 kg. If the system is defined as the two cars what is the change in momentum of the system due to the collision

Answer 1

the answer is actually 0 kgxm/s

Answer 2

The change in momentum of the system is, MV = 11000 kg m/s

Step-by-step explanation:

Given data,

The velocity of a car towards the north, v₁ = 25 m/s

The velocity of another car towards the south, v₂ = 15 m/s

The mass of each car, m₁, m₂ = 1100 kg

The momentum of the first car,

p₁ = m₁ v₁

= 1100 x 25

= 27500 kg m/s

The momentum of the second car with respect to the first car,

p₂ = m₂v₂

= 1100 x (-15)

= -16500 kg m/s

According to the law of conservation of momentum,

m₁v₁ + m₂v₂ = MV

The combined mass of the car is M and V is their combined velocity,

Therefore,

MV = 27500 kg m/s -16500 kg m/s

= 11000 kg m/s

Therefore, the change in momentum of the system is, MV = 11000 kg m/s