Question

A 2000 kg car moving East at 10 m/s collides with a 3000 kg car moving north. Find:

a) the speed of the two cars after the collision
b) the speed of the 3000 kg car before the collision

Answer 1

The speed of the two cars after the collision is 6.67 m/s. The speed of the 3000 kg car before the collision is -6.67 m/s.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to find the speed of the two cars after the collision, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum. The momentum before the collision is given by the sum of the momenta of the two cars:

(2000 kg) * (10 m/s) + (3000 kg) * (0 m/s) = (2000 kg + 3000 kg) * v

Simplifying this equation, we find that the speed of the combined cars after the collision is:

v = 6.67 m/s

To find the speed of the 3000 kg car before the collision, we can use the equation:

(2000 kg) * (10 m/s) + (3000 kg) * (0 m/s) = (2000 kg) * (10 m/s) + (3000 kg) * v'

Simplifying this equation, we find that the speed of the 3000 kg car before the collision is:

v' = -6.67 m/s