Question

"An object's momentum is defined as its mass multiplied by its velocity (p = mv) and it is measured in kilogram meters per second (kg⋅m/s). Students designed an experiment to test what happens to momentum when a moving object collides with an object that is stationary."

What would happen to the final velocity if the students conducted another trial, but this time Cart A and Cart B did NOT stick together?

a) The post-collision velocity of the two carts would equal 2 m/s.

b) The collision would cause Cart A to slow down and Cart B to start moving.

c) An elastic collision would cause both Cart A and Cart B to stop moving on the track.

d) The post-collision velocity of Cart A would be less than the post-collision velocity of Cart

Answer 1

During a collision where two objects do not stick together, Cart A would slow down and Cart B would start moving. This reflects the conservation of momentum, with the specific post-collision velocities depending on whether the collision is elastic or inelastic.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering an experiment where a moving object collides with a stationary object, if Cart A (a moving object) and Cart B (a stationary object) do not stick together after the collision, several outcomes are possible. However, the momentum before and after the collision must be conserved because momentum is conserved in all types of collisions, provided there are no external forces involved. Without knowing specifics about the elasticity of the collision or additional forces, the general outcome can be described as Cart A slowing down as a result of the collision and Cart B moving with some velocity in the same direction as Cart A was initially moving, corresponding to option b, 'The collision would cause Cart A to slow down and Cart B to start moving.'

If we apply the principle of conservation of momentum to this scenario, we can predict the post-collision velocities of both carts. For an elastic collision, both kinetic energy and momentum are conserved, resulting in the objects bouncing off each other with no total loss in kinetic energy but exchanging velocities if they have the same mass. For an inelastic collision, where the objects do not stick together yet kinetic energy is not conserved, the final velocities are determined by the conservation of momentum and will be different from the initial velocities.