Final answer:
Correct option: b. more than the initial momentum.
The total momentum of an isolated system is conserved in an inelastic collision, meaning that the final total momentum is the same as the initial momentum. Therefore, the momentum of the two air cars will be equal before and after the collision.
Step-by-step explanation:
In an inelastic collision involving an isolated system, such as the system of two air cars on a frictionless track, the principle of conservation of momentum dictates that the total momentum before and after the collision will remain the same.
This means that the final total momentum is exactly the same as the initial momentum (option c), even though kinetic energy is not conserved in such collisions.
Thus, the correct answer is that the total momentum of the two cars will be equal before and after the collision (option b).
In summary, the principle of conservation of momentum ensures that in the absence of external forces, the total momentum of a system is conserved regardless of whether the collision is elastic or inelastic.
This is a cornerstone concept in classical mechanics that applies to all closed systems, and it is described by Essential Knowledge stating that, in a collision between objects, linear momentum is conserved whereas kinetic energy is not necessarily conserved in inelastic collisions.