Which of the following statements is true about a collision between two cars in the absence of outside forces?
A. The total momentum after the collision is the same as the total before the collision.
B. The total momentum after the collision is greater than the total momentum before the collision.
C. The total momentum after the collision is less than the total momentum before the collision.
D. The total momentum after the collision is zero.
Is the answer b?
Thank you
A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~^_^~
its a !!!!! pick A :3
I thought we went over this a day or so ago. Remember momentum is conserved (in an isolated system).
To determine which statement is true about a collision between two cars in the absence of outside forces, we need to understand the concept of momentum and the principle of conservation of momentum.
Momentum is the product of an object's mass and its velocity. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. The total momentum before a collision is the sum of the individual momenta of the two cars involved.
The principle of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum of a system remains constant if no external forces act on it. In other words, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.
Now, let's evaluate the statements:
A. The total momentum after the collision is the same as the total before the collision.
This statement aligns with the principle of conservation of momentum and is true. When there are no external forces acting on the system, the total momentum remains constant.
B. The total momentum after the collision is greater than the total momentum before the collision.
This statement goes against the principle of conservation of momentum. Therefore, it is false. If there are no external forces, the total momentum will not increase after the collision.
C. The total momentum after the collision is less than the total momentum before the collision.
This statement also goes against the principle of conservation of momentum and is false. If no external forces act on the system, the total momentum will not decrease after the collision.
D. The total momentum after the collision is zero.
This statement is only true if the total momentum before the collision is zero, which is unlikely in most scenarios involving moving cars. Therefore, it is less likely to be true.
Based on the explanation provided, the correct answer is A. The total momentum after the collision is the same as the total before the collision.