Question

A 1060-kg car moving at a speed of 13.0 m/s crashes into an identical car stopped at a light. What is the velocity (in m/s) of the wreckage immediately after the collision, assuming the cars stick together

Answer 1

Speed of the wreck after the collision is 6.5 m/s

Step-by-step explanation:

When a car hits another and sticks together, the collision would be totally inelastic. Since the both the vehicles locked together, they have the same final velocity.

Mass of car
`m_(1)=1060 kg`

Mass of stopped car
`m_(2)=1060 kg`

Initial speed of the car
`u_(1)=13 m/s`

Initial speed of the stopped car
`u_(2)=0 m/s`

The final velocity of the wreck will be

`m_(1)u_(1)+m_(2)u_(2)=m_(1)v_(1)+m_(2)v_(2)`

since final speed are same,
`v_(1)=v_(2)=v`

`m_(1)u_(1)+m_(2)u_(2)=(m_(1)+m_(2))v`

`1060* 13 +1060 * 0 =(1060+1060)v\\v=(13780)/(2120) \\v=6.5 m/s`