Two cars collide at an intersection. Car A , with a mass of 1800 kg , is going f

Question

Two cars collide at an intersection. Car A, with a mass of 1800 kg , is going from west to east, while car B, of mass 1500 kg , is going from north to south at 15.0 m/s . As a result of this collision, the two cars become enmeshed and move as one afterwards. In your role as an expert witness, you inspect the scene and determine that, after the collision, the enmeshed cars moved at an angle of 65.0 south of east from the point of impact.

Part A. How fast were the enmeshed cars moving just after the collision?

Part B. How fast was car A going just before the collision?

Explanation / Answer

We will use the principal of conservation of momentum along x and y axis

let the initiall velocity of car A = u m/s

Total mass of enmeshed cars= 1800 + 1500 = 3300 Kg

Let the velocity of enmeshed car = v m/s

Conserving momentum along x axis

u(1800) = 3300v cos 65 -----eq(1)

Conserving the momentum along y axis

1500(15) = 3300v sin 65 --------eq(2)

Solving eq(2),

v = 7.56 m/s apprx( speed of enmeshed cars)

Substuting the value of V, in eq (1)

u = 5.86 m/s apprx ( speed of car A before collision)

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