Question

A 2-kilogram toy car is traveling forward at 1 meter per second when it is hit in the rear by a 3-kilogram toy truck that was traveling at 3 meters per second just before impact. If the two toys stick together, their speed immediately after the collision is

Answer 1

Answer:

v = 1.4 m/s

Explanation:

This problem is about an inelastic collision. The total momentum before the collision is equal to total momentum after (because of the conservation of momentum law):

$m_1v_1-m_2v_2=(m_1+m_2)v$  (1)

m1: mass of the toy car = 2 kg

m2: mass of the toy truck = 3 kg

v1: speed of the toy car = 1 m/s

v2: speed of the truck car = 3 m/s

v: speed of both car and truck after the collision = ?

In the equation (1) the negative sign of m2v2 is because of the opposite direction of the toy truck respect to the toy car.

You solve the equation (1) for v, and you replace the values of all variables involved:

$v=\frac{m_1v_1-m_2v_2}{m_1+m_2}\\\\v=\frac{(2kg)(1m/s)-(3kg)(3m/s)}{2kg+3kg}=-1.4\frac{m}{s}$

this velocity is negative, then, the direction of motion of both car and truck is in the direction of the truck

Hence, the speed of both car and truck toys is 1.4 m/s