A 2000 kg truck is traveling west with a speed of 40 meters per second when it strikes
another car, creating an impulse of 8000 Newtons●seconds in the eastward direction. What is
the final velocity and direction for the car after the accident? how to solve
To solve this problem, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum.
The momentum of an object is the product of its mass and velocity. Mathematically, momentum (p) is given by p = m * v, where m is the mass of the object and v is its velocity.
The principle of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision, assuming no external forces are acting on the system.
Let's assume the truck's initial velocity is v1, the truck's final velocity is v2, and the car's final velocity is v3.
Before the collision:
The momentum of the truck is given by p1 = m1 * v1 = 2000 kg * (-40 m/s) = -80,000 kg*m/s (eastward)
The momentum of the car is initially 0 since it is at rest.
After the collision:
The total momentum should equal zero since no external forces are acting on the system (the truck and car are the only objects involved).
Using conservation of momentum, we can write the equation as: p1 + p2 + p3 = 0
where p2 is the momentum of the truck after the collision (2000 kg * v2) and p3 is the momentum of the car after the collision (unknown).
So, -80,000 kg*m/s + 2000 kg * v2 + 0 = 0
2000 kg * v2 = 80,000 kg*m/s
v2 = 80,000 kg*m/s / 2000 kg
v2 = 40 m/s (eastward)
Therefore, the final velocity of the truck after the accident is 40 m/s in the eastward direction. Since there are no external forces acting on the system, the final velocity of the car after the accident will be 0 m/s.