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? a. 33.5 m/s going east b. 39.75 m/s going west c. 27.6 m/s going west d. 36 m/s going east
To determine the final velocity and direction of the car after the accident, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum.
The formula for momentum is given by:
momentum = mass × velocity
The initial momentum of the truck is:
momentum_initial = mass_truck × velocity_truck = 2000 kg × 40 m/s = 80000 kg·m/s
The impulse experienced by the truck is given by the formula:
impulse = change in momentum
impulse = momentum_final - momentum_initial
Since the impulse is 8000 N·s in the eastward direction, we can write:
8000 N·s = momentum_final - 80000 kg·m/s
Rearranging the equation to solve for momentum_final, we have:
momentum_final = 8000 N·s + 80000 kg·m/s
The final momentum of the car can be expressed in terms of its mass and velocity as:
momentum_final = mass_car × velocity_car
Given that the mass of the car is not provided, we cannot directly solve for the final velocity. Therefore, the information provided is insufficient to determine the answer.