As shown in the figure below, cars #1 and #2 are sliding across a horizontal fri

Question

As shown in the figure below, cars #1 and #2 are sliding across a horizontal frictionless surface. The cars are equipped with a coupling arrangement similar to the one on railroad cars. Car #1 overtakes car #2 and they have a totally inelastic collision and become coupled together.  You know the mass of each car;

m1 = 19.5 kg and m2 = 45.0 kg.

  In addition, you are provided with the following graph, which shows the momentum of car #1 before, during and after the collision.  Determine the velocity of car #2 before the collision.
1      m/s

As shown in the figure below, cars #1 and #2 are sliding across a horizontal frictionless surface. The cars are equipped with a coupling arrangement similar to the one on railroad cars. Car #1 overtakes car #2 and they have a totally inelastic collision and become coupled together. You know the mass of each car; m1 = 19.5 kg and m2 = 45.0 kg. In addition, you are provided with the following graph, which shows the momentum of car #1 before, during and after the collision. Determine the velocity of car #2 before the collision.

Explanation / Answer

conservation of momentum

from graph U1 = 100/19.5 = 5.12 m/s

V1= 40/19.5 =2.05 m/s

but inelastic collision

so V1=V2

so

we get

19.5*5.12 + 45*U = (19.5+45)*2.05

U= 0.719 m/s

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