Two trucks that look the same collide. One was originally at rest. The trucks stick together and move off at more than half the original speed of the moving truck. What can you say about the contents of the two trucks?
the attack truck was heavier :)
If they were the same
m1 * v + m2 *0 = (m1+m2) v final
2 m moves half as fast as 1 m
but if m2 is smal
then
v final approaches v
To determine what can be said about the contents of the two trucks, we can make use of the principles of conservation of momentum and the concept of collision.
First, let's break down the given information:
1. Two trucks collide: This means that both trucks experience a force upon impact, leading to a collision.
2. One truck was originally at rest: Let's refer to this truck as Truck A. It means that Truck A had no initial velocity before the collision.
3. The trucks stick together and move off: After the collision, the two trucks become one entity and move together with a common velocity.
4. The common velocity is more than half the original speed of the moving truck: Let's refer to the moving truck as Truck B. This information implies that the collision resulted in a decrease in the speed of Truck B, but it still moves at a higher speed than Truck A's original speed.
Now, let's analyze the situation:
When two objects collide, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision, assuming there are no external forces acting on the system.
Momentum (p) is defined as the product of an object's mass (m) and its velocity (v). Mathematically, momentum (p) = m * v.
Let's denote the mass of Truck A as mA, the velocity of Truck A as vA, the mass of Truck B as mB, and the velocity of Truck B as vB.
Given that Truck A was initially at rest (vA = 0), the initial momentum of the system is as follows:
Initial momentum = (mA * vA) + (mB * vB)
= (0) + (mB * vB)
= 0
After the collision, the trucks stick together and move off with a common velocity v_common.
The final momentum of the system, in terms of the common velocity (v_common), is given by:
Final momentum = (mA + mB) * v_common
Since we know that the final momentum must be greater than zero (as the trucks move together), we have:
(mA + mB) * v_common > 0
Now, let's compare the initial and final momenta:
0 = Final momentum - Initial momentum
= (mA + mB) * v_common - 0
= (mA + mB) * v_common
We can make the following observations:
1. If the final momentum is greater than zero, then (mA + mB) * v_common must be greater than zero. This means that the sum of the masses (mA + mB) must be positive, and the common velocity (v_common) must be positive.
2. Since the common velocity (v_common) is positive, it suggests that both trucks are moving in the same direction after the collision.
In conclusion:
Based on the given information and the principle of momentum conservation, we can say that the sum of the masses of the two trucks (mA + mB) is positive, indicating that they both contain some form of mass or cargo. However, we cannot determine the specific contents of the trucks solely from the information provided. Further information would be required to make any conclusions about the nature of their contents.