Question

According to accident reports, the vehicle trucks and buses most often collide with is ________.

1) Motorcycles
2) Pedestrians
3) Cars
4) Bicycles

Answer 1

The final velocity of the combined wreckage in a traffic collision where the two vehicles stick together can be calculated using the conservation of momentum, accounting for the mass and initial velocities of both objects.

Step-by-step explanation:

The velocity of the combined wreckage after a traffic collision can be found using the principle of conservation of momentum. The formula for calculating a combined velocity after a collision where the objects stick together is:

m1v1 + m2v2 = (m1 + m2)v

where:

• m1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects,
• v1 and v2 are the initial velocities of the two objects,
• v is the final velocity of the combined object.

For the given problem with a car (1200 kg, 60 km/hr east) and a truck (3000 kg, 40 km/hr north), the final velocity can be calculated with vectors since the collision is not head-on:

1. Convert speeds from km/hr to m/s (60 km/hr = 16.67 m/s, 40 km/hr = 11.11 m/s).
2. Calculate the eastward momentum: 1200 kg * 16.67 m/s.
3. Calculate the northward momentum: 3000 kg * 11.11 m/s.
4. Combine these to find the magnitude and direction of the final velocity using vector addition.

Solving this will give you the final combined velocity of the wreckage in both magnitude and direction.