A car and a truck are both travelling at the speed limit of 60kilometers per hou

Question

A car and a truck are both travelling at the speed limit of 60kilometers per hour but in opposite directions. The truck hastwice the mass of the car. The vehicles collidehead-on and become entangled together. (a) During the collision, how does the force exerted by thecar on the truck compare with the force exerted by the truck on thecar? Explain. (b) In what direction will the entangled vehicles move aftercollision, or will they be stationary? Support your answer,referring to a physics principle. (c) Determine hte speed (in kilometers per hour) of thecombined wreck immdeiately after the collision. (d) How does the acceleration of the car compare with theacceleration of the truck during the collision? Explain. (e) Both the car and truck drivers are wearing seat belts.Which driver is likely to be more severly jolted in the collision?Explain. (f) The total kinetic energy of the system decreases as aresult of the collision. Is the principle of conservation of energyviolated? A car and a truck are both travelling at the speed limit of 60kilometers per hour but in opposite directions. The truck hastwice the mass of the car. The vehicles collidehead-on and become entangled together. (a) During the collision, how does the force exerted by thecar on the truck compare with the force exerted by the truck on thecar? Explain. (b) In what direction will the entangled vehicles move aftercollision, or will they be stationary? Support your answer,referring to a physics principle. (c) Determine hte speed (in kilometers per hour) of thecombined wreck immdeiately after the collision. (d) How does the acceleration of the car compare with theacceleration of the truck during the collision? Explain. (e) Both the car and truck drivers are wearing seat belts.Which driver is likely to be more severly jolted in the collision?Explain. (f) The total kinetic energy of the system decreases as aresult of the collision. Is the principle of conservation of energyviolated?

Explanation / Answer

A) The sum of momenta of both vehicles before the collision isthe same as the sum of momenta after the collision. The force F isdefined as F = dp/dt Since p = 0, the resultant force after the collision iszero. Therefore the two forces are of the same magnitude butopposite directions. B) We use the conservation of momentum to determine the speed,taking as positive the direction of the car P0 = Pf mv0 -2mv0 = 3mvf vf = -v0/3 So the entanglement of the car and the truck will movebackwards at 60/3 = 20 km/h. C) 20 km/h D) Since the force is the product of mass and acceleration, thetwo forces are the same in magnitude, and the truck is twice asmassive as the car, the acceleration of the car is the doubleof the acceleration of the truck. E) The one in the car, since the magnitude of the acceleration istwice the truck's. F) No. The missing kinetic energy was spent in the deformationthe car and the truck suffered during the entaglement. vf = -v0/3 So the entanglement of the car and the truck will movebackwards at 60/3 = 20 km/h. C) 20 km/h D) Since the force is the product of mass and acceleration, thetwo forces are the same in magnitude, and the truck is twice asmassive as the car, the acceleration of the car is the doubleof the acceleration of the truck. E) The one in the car, since the magnitude of the acceleration istwice the truck's. F) No. The missing kinetic energy was spent in the deformationthe car and the truck suffered during the entaglement.

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