Final answer:
The question concerns the physics of a collision and how momentum is conserved in such events. An example provided is the collision of two cars which stick together post-collision, an example of an inelastic collision where kinetic energy is not conserved but total system momentum is.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to the concept of a collision in physics, specifically in the context of momentum conservation and traffic collisions. When vehicles collide, such as a car being rear-ended by another car, the event can be analyzed using the principles of momentum. If the collision is elastic, energy is conserved, and the total kinetic energy before and after the collision remains the same. In an inelastic collision, such as the case where two cars collide and stick together, some kinetic energy is lost, typically manifested as damage to the cars. According to collision theory, even if individual velocities change, the total momentum of the system is conserved.
If Car A and Car B collide and stick together, the final momentum of the combined cars is the vector sum of the momenta of the individual cars prior to the collision. The final velocity can be calculated by dividing this combined momentum by the total mass of the system. It is important to note that the conservation of momentum is applicable in the absence of external forces; hence, the assumption that effects due to friction are negligible is crucial for the analysis.
For example, if we have a Car A of mass 2000 kg traveling east at 38 m/s and a Car B of mass 3500 kg traveling at 53 m/s at 63° north of east, we can calculate the center-of-mass velocity before and after the collision to determine whether it changes as a result of the incident. This combines the concepts of momentum conservation and center-of-mass analysis.