A 500 kg truck moving at 30 m/s strikes a parked 300 kg car. They connect together and move forward.

(A) What kind of collision is this (elastic or inelastic)?
(B) What is the momentum of the truck before it strikes the car?
(C) What is the speed of the car and truck as they move forward (connected together)after the collision?

(A) To determine whether the collision is elastic or inelastic, we need to consider whether kinetic energy is conserved during the collision. In an elastic collision, kinetic energy is conserved, while in an inelastic collision, it is not conserved.

To determine if kinetic energy is conserved, we need to compare the kinetic energy before and after the collision.

(B) The momentum of an object is given by the product of its mass and velocity. Hence, the momentum of the truck before it strikes the car can be calculated using the formula:

Momentum = mass × velocity

Given that the mass of the truck is 500 kg and its velocity is 30 m/s, we can calculate the momentum as follows:

Momentum of truck = 500 kg × 30 m/s

(C) To find the speed of the car and truck after the collision, we need to consider the principles of conservation of momentum. In a collision, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision, provided there are no external forces acting on the system.

As the truck and car connect together and move forward after the collision, we can consider them as a single combined system. The total momentum of this system after the collision is given by the sum of the individual momenta of the truck and car before the collision.

To calculate the speed of the car and truck after the collision, we need to divide the total momentum by the combined mass of the car and truck.

Let's assume the speed of the car and truck after the collision is V. The total momentum of the system after the collision is given by:

Total Momentum = (mass of truck × velocity of truck before collision) + (mass of car × velocity of car before collision)

Total Momentum = (500 kg × 30 m/s) + (300 kg × 0 m/s)

To find the speed after the collision, we divide the total momentum by the combined mass of the car and truck:

V = Total Momentum / (mass of truck + mass of car)