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Car 1 is going to run into a stationary car 2 with a velocity of 16.6 m/s. If car 1 has a mass of 16.2 kg and car has a mass of 4.8 kg, what is the final velocity of car 2 if car 1 has a final velocity of 5.6m/s?

User Reznoir
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2 Answers

4 votes

Final answer:

Using the conservation of momentum, we can calculate the final velocity of car 2 to be 31.2 m/s after colliding with a moving car 1 which has a final velocity of 5.6 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks about the final velocity of car 2 after a collision with car 1, which has a known final velocity. This scenario involves the principle of the conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum of a closed system is conserved if no external forces act on it. Here's how to calculate the final velocity of car 2:

We use the conservation of momentum equation: m1 * v1_initial + m2 * v2_initial = m1 * v1_final + m2 * v2_final, where 'm' denotes mass and 'v' denotes velocity. Given that car 2 is initially stationary, v2_initial is 0.

So the equation simplifies to:
16.2 kg * 16.6 m/s + 4.8 kg * 0 m/s = 16.2 kg * 5.6 m/s + 4.8 kg * v2_final.

Solving this equation for v2_final gives us the final velocity of car 2 after the collision. We can perform the necessary algebraic steps to find v2_final is 31.2 m/s.

User Karthikeyan VK
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7.5k points
5 votes

Final answer:

Using the conservation of momentum, we can calculate the final velocity of car 2 to be 31.2 m/s after colliding with a moving car 1 which has a final velocity of 5.6 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks about the final velocity of car 2 after a collision with car 1, which has a known final velocity. This scenario involves the principle of the conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum of a closed system is conserved if no external forces act on it. Here's how to calculate the final velocity of car 2:

We use the conservation of momentum equation: m1 * v1_initial + m2 * v2_initial = m1 * v1_final + m2 * v2_final, where 'm' denotes mass and 'v' denotes velocity. Given that car 2 is initially stationary, v2_initial is 0.

So the equation simplifies to:
16.2 kg * 16.6 m/s + 4.8 kg * 0 m/s = 16.2 kg * 5.6 m/s + 4.8 kg * v2_final.

Solving this equation for v2_final gives us the final velocity of car 2 after the collision. We can perform the necessary algebraic steps to find v2_final is 31.2 m/s.

User Stormhashe
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8.3k points