First, let's find the speed
![v_i](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=v_i)
of the two blocks m1 and m2 sticked together after the collision.
We can use the conservation of momentum to solve this part. Initially, block 2 is stationary, so only block 1 has momentum different from zero, and it is:
![p_i = m_1 v_1](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=p_i%20%3D%20m_1%20v_1)
After the collision, the two blocks stick together and so now they have mass
![m_1 +m_2](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=m_1%20%2Bm_2)
and they are moving with speed
![v_i](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=v_i)
:
![p_f = (m_1 + m_2)v_i](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=p_f%20%3D%20%28m_1%20%2B%20m_2%29v_i)
For conservation of momentum
![p_i=p_f](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=p_i%3Dp_f)
So we can write
![m_1 v_1 = (m_1 +m_2)v_i](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=m_1%20v_1%20%3D%20%28m_1%20%2Bm_2%29v_i)
From which we find
![v_i = \frac{m_1 v_1}{m_1+m_2}= \frac{(3.5 kg)(6.3 m/s)}{3.5 kg+1.7 kg}=4.2 m/s](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=v_i%20%3D%20%20%5Cfrac%7Bm_1%20v_1%7D%7Bm_1%2Bm_2%7D%3D%20%5Cfrac%7B%283.5%20kg%29%286.3%20m%2Fs%29%7D%7B3.5%20kg%2B1.7%20kg%7D%3D4.2%20m%2Fs%20%20)
The two blocks enter the rough path with this velocity, then they are decelerated because of the frictional force
![\mu (m_1+m_2)g](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cmu%20%28m_1%2Bm_2%29g)
. The work done by the frictional force to stop the two blocks is
![\mu (m_1+m_2)g d](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%5Cmu%20%28m_1%2Bm_2%29g%20%20d)
where d is the distance covered by the two blocks before stopping.
The initial kinetic energy of the two blocks together, just before entering the rough path, is
![\frac{1}{2} (m_1+m_2)v_i^2](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%20%5Cfrac%7B1%7D%7B2%7D%20%28m_1%2Bm_2%29v_i%5E2%20)
When the two blocks stop, all this kinetic energy is lost, because their velocity becomes zero; for the work-energy theorem, the loss in kinetic energy must be equal to the work done by the frictional force:
![\frac{1}{2} (m_1+m_2)v_i^2 =\mu (m_1+m_2)g d](https://tex.z-dn.net/?f=%20%5Cfrac%7B1%7D%7B2%7D%20%28m_1%2Bm_2%29v_i%5E2%20%3D%5Cmu%20%28m_1%2Bm_2%29g%20%20d)
From which we can find the value of the coefficient of kinetic friction: