Final answer:
In a traffic collision where momentum is conserved, the velocity of combined wreckage can be calculated using the conservation of momentum, where the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum afterwards.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the conservation of momentum in a traffic collision involving vehicles of differing masses and velocities. According to the conservation of momentum, when two objects collide, the total momentum before the collision must equal the total momentum after the collision if no external forces act on the system. In the collision described, a small car of mass 1200 kg traveling east at 60 km/hr and a truck of mass 3000 kg traveling due north at 40 km/hr lock together after collision. To answer this, we must use the formula:
- Total momentum before collision = Total momentum after collision
- Momentum = Mass × Velocity
The eastward momentum is m1v1, and the northward momentum is m2v2, where m1 and v1 are the mass and velocity of the car, respectively, and m2 and v2 are the mass and velocity of the truck, respectively. To find the combined velocity, we vectorially add the momenta of both vehicles and solve for the velocity of the wreckage. This involves calculating the magnitude and direction using trigonometric functions.