Question

A 10 kg blue cart moving to the right at 25 m/s collides with a 17 kg red cart moving in the opposite direction at 16 m/s. If, after the collision, the blue cart's velocity is reduced to 10 m/s, how fast and in what direction is the red cart moving?

Answer 1

24.8m/s

Step-by-step explanation:

Given data

m1= 10kg

u1=25m/s

m2=17kg

u2=16m/s

v1=10m/s

v2=??

Applying the conservation of linear momentum

m1u1+m2u2=m1v1+m2v2

substitute

10*25+17*16=10*10+17*v2

250+272=100+17v2

522=100+17v2

522-100=17v2

422=17v2

Divide both sides by 17

v2= 422/17

v2= 24.8 m/s

Hence the velocity of the red cart is 24.8m/s in the opposite direction of the blue cart