A bus and a car have an inelastic head-on collision. The bus has a mass of 1.5 × 103 kilograms and an initial velocity of +20 meters/second. The car has a mass of 9.5 × 102 kilograms and an initial velocity of -26 meters/second. What is their total momentum after the collision?
To find the total momentum after the collision, we need to calculate the momentum of the bus and the car separately, and then add them together.
Momentum is defined as the product of mass and velocity. Mathematically, it can be expressed as:
Momentum = mass × velocity
For the bus:
Mass of the bus = 1.5 × 10^3 kg
Initial velocity of the bus = +20 m/s
Momentum of the bus = (1.5 × 10^3 kg) × (+20 m/s)
Similarly, for the car:
Mass of the car = 9.5 × 10^2 kg
Initial velocity of the car = -26 m/s
Momentum of the car = (9.5 × 10^2 kg) × (-26 m/s)
To find the total momentum after the collision, we add the momentum of the bus and the car:
Total momentum = Momentum of the bus + Momentum of the car
Substituting the values we calculated earlier:
Total momentum = (1.5 × 10^3 kg × 20 m/s) + (9.5 × 10^2 kg × -26 m/s)
Simplifying the calculation:
Total momentum = 30000 kg·m/s + (-24700 kg·m/s)
Total momentum = 30000 kg·m/s - 24700 kg·m/s
Total momentum = 5300 kg·m/s
Therefore, their total momentum after the collision is 5300 kg·m/s.
p= m₁v₁-m₂v₂= 1500•20 - 950•26 =
= 30000- 24700 =5300 kg•m/s