A car with a mass of 1300 kg travels at 2.0 m/s and bumps into a stopped car with a mass of
1300 kg. After the collision, the two cars stick together and move forward. How fast will they
both move forward? (1 point)
• 2.0 m/s
• 1.0 m/s
• 0.5 m/s
• They won't move
To solve this problem, we can use the principle of conservation of momentum. According to this principle, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.
The momentum is calculated by multiplying the mass of an object by its velocity.
Before the collision, the momentum of the first car is:
Momentum1 = mass1 * velocity1 = 1300 kg * 2.0 m/s = 2600 kg⋅m/s
Before the collision, the momentum of the second car is zero since it is at rest:
Momentum2 = mass2 * velocity2 = 1300 kg * 0 m/s = 0 kg⋅m/s
The total momentum before the collision is:
Total momentum before = Momentum1 + Momentum2 = 2600 kg⋅m/s + 0 kg⋅m/s = 2600 kg⋅m/s
After the collision, the two cars are stuck together and move forward as one object. Let's call their final velocity Vf.
The total mass after the collision is the sum of the masses of the two cars:
Total mass after = mass1 + mass2 = 1300 kg + 1300 kg = 2600 kg
Using the principle of conservation of momentum, the total momentum after the collision is equal to the total momentum before the collision:
Total momentum after = Total mass after * Vf
2600 kg⋅m/s = (2600 kg) * Vf
To solve for Vf, we can divide both sides by 2600 kg:
Vf = (2600 kg⋅m/s) / (2600 kg) = 1.0 m/s
Therefore, after the collision, the two cars will move forward with a velocity of 1.0 m/s. The answer is 1.0 m/s.