Question

A 1500-kg car travelling 90 km/h[N] collides with a 1200-kg minivan travelling 40 km/h[S]. After the collision, the two vehicles stick together.

a. Calculate the initial momentum of the car and the minivan.

b. Using the law of conservation of momentum, determine the total momentum of the two vehicles after the collision.

c. Calculate the final velocity of the two vehicles after the collision in metres per second.

Answer 1

A) car - 37500 kg*m/s, minivan - 13332 kg*m/s

B) 50832 kg*m/s

C) 18.83 m/s

Step-by-step explanation:

Realize that sticky collisions are modeled by: m1v1+m2v2=(m1+m2) vf

conevert to m/s....car going 25 m/s, minivan going 11.11 m/s

A) p=mv

p(car)=(1500)(25)

p(car)=37500 kg*m/s

p(minivan)=(1200)(11.11)

p(minivan)=13332 kg*m/s

B) 37500+13332=50832 kg*m/s

C) 37500+13332=(1500+1200) vf

50832=2700(vf)

18.83 m/s = vf