Question

8. (Inelastic) A 10,000 kg truck traveling at 4 m/s runs head-on into a stationary

Ford Pinto mass 1000 kg. How fast will the truck and Pinto be traveling as they
move down the street stuck together?
ans. 3.6 m/s

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Given:

m₁ = 10 000 kg

V₁ = 4 m/s

m₂ = 1 000 kg

V₂ = 0 m/s

____________

V - ?

The law of conservation of momentum in inelastic collision:

m₁·V₁ + m₂·V₂ = (m₁ + m₂)·V

V₂ = 0

m₁·V₁ = (m₁ + m₂)·V

V = m₁·V₁ / (m₁ + m₂)

V = 10 000 · 4 / (10 000 + 1 000) ≈ 3,6 m/s