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a 900 kg car travelling at 12 m/s due east collides with a 600 kg car travelling at 24 m/s due north. as a result of the collision, the two cars lock together and move in what final direction?

User Miorey
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1 Answer

21 votes
21 votes

Answer: East

Explanation: To find the final direction of the two cars after the collision, you need to calculate their combined momentum before and after the collision. The momentum of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its velocity.

The momentum of the 900 kg car before the collision is equal to its mass multiplied by its velocity: 900 kg * 12 m/s = 10,800 kg*m/s.

The momentum of the 600 kg car before the collision is equal to its mass multiplied by its velocity: 600 kg * 24 m/s = 14,400 kg*m/s.

The total momentum of the two cars before the collision is the sum of their individual momenta: 10,800 kgm/s + 14,400 kgm/s = 25,200 kg*m/s.

After the collision, the combined mass of the two cars is equal to their individual masses added together: 900 kg + 600 kg = 1,500 kg.

Since the momentum of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its velocity, we can use the formula for momentum to calculate the velocity of the two cars after the collision:

Velocity = momentum / mass = 25,200 kg*m/s / 1,500 kg = 16.8 m/s

Since the combined momentum of the two cars before the collision was in the direction of the 900 kg car's original velocity (due east), and the velocity of the two cars after the collision is 16.8 m/s due east, the final direction of the two cars after the collision is due east.

User Rain Man
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