Question

Cart X (m = 3.0 kg) is traveling to the right at 4.50 m/s toward Cart Y. Cart Y (m = 8.0 kg) is traveling to the left at 1.5 m/s.

Which cart has the larger magnitude of momentum, and why?
A. Cart X has the larger magnitude of momentum because it has a larger magnitude of velocity.
B. Cart X has the larger magnitude of momentum because it has the larger product of mass and velocity.
C. Cart Y has the larger magnitude of momentum because it has a larger mass.
D. Cart Y has the larger magnitude of momentum because it has the larger product of mass and velocity.

Answer 1

Answer: D

Explanation: Cart Y has the larger magnitude of momentum because although Cart X has a higher velocity, Cart Y has a higher product of mass and velocity, which determines momentum.

Answer 2

Cart X has the larger magnitude of momentum because it has the larger product of mass and velocity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is B. Cart X has the larger magnitude of momentum because it has the larger product of mass and velocity.

Momentum is defined as the product of an object's mass and its velocity. The formula for momentum is given as:

Momentum = mass × velocity

In this case, Cart X has a mass of 3.0 kg and a velocity of 4.50 m/s, while Cart Y has a mass of 8.0 kg and a velocity of 1.5 m/s. Comparing the products of mass and velocity for both carts, we can see that the product for Cart X is larger, hence it has the larger magnitude of momentum.