a car of mass 1600kg,travelling at a speed of 30ms to the left,collides head-on with 0ms to the right,the two vehicles move together as a unit in a straight line after the collision.calculate the velocity of the two vehicles after collision.2.do the necessary calculation to show that the collision ws inelastic.
M1 Vi + 0 = (M1+M2)V
if (1/2)M1 Vi^2 > (1/2)(M1+M2)V^2
then energy was lost as heat in the nasty crash.
To calculate the velocity of the two vehicles after the collision, we need to use the principle of conservation of momentum.
1. Calculate the momentum before the collision:
The momentum of an object is calculated by multiplying its mass by its velocity. Since the car is the only object moving in this case, its momentum before the collision is:
Momentum (car before collision) = mass of car * velocity of car
= 1600 kg * (-30 m/s) [since the car is moving to the left]
= -48000 kg m/s [negative sign indicates opposite direction]
2. After the collision, the two vehicles move together as a unit. Let's assume their combined mass is "m" and their final velocity is "v".
3. Calculate the momentum after the collision using the principle of conservation of momentum:
According to the principle of conservation of momentum, the total momentum before the collision should be equal to the total momentum after the collision.
So, the momentum after the collision is:
Momentum (after collision) = (mass of car + mass of other vehicle) * velocity (after collision)
= (1600 kg + mass of other vehicle) * v
Since the two vehicles move together and have the same velocity after the collision, the momentum equation becomes:
-48000 kg m/s = (1600 kg + mass of other vehicle) * v
Now we have one equation with two unknowns (mass of other vehicle and velocity after the collision). To solve for the velocity, we need more information about the system or the other vehicle's mass.
Now, let's move on to the second part of your question.
To determine whether the collision is inelastic or not, we need to analyze the kinetic energy before and after the collision.
The kinetic energy before the collision is given by:
Kinetic energy (before collision) = (1/2) * mass of car * (velocity of car)^2
= (1/2) * 1600 kg * (30 m/s)^2
= 720,000 Joules
For an inelastic collision, the total kinetic energy after the collision will be less than the initial kinetic energy.
However, since we do not have enough information about the masses or any energy losses during the collision, we cannot determine whether the collision is inelastic or not.