A 1300kg car runs into the rear of a 1700-kg minivan that was moving at 5m/s. Th

Question

A 1300kg car runs into the rear of a 1700-kg minivan that was moving at 5m/s. The two vehicles are locked together after the collision and move with a speed of 10m/s.

a) What was the speed of the car before the collision?
b) How much kinetic energy is lost in the collision?
c) How high above the ground would the locked-together vehicles have to be raised in order for their potential energy to equal the ‘’lost kinetic energy in the collision?
d) How much work would it take to raise the vehicles to that height?

Explanation / Answer

c)They are locked together so the total mass is m1 + m2= 1700+1300=3000kg
Potential is mass*gravity*h
you know you want the potentian to be 49071.54joules so you just solve for h
h=PE/mg
h=49071.54/(9.8*3000)=1.669m
d) now the work that needs to be done is F*h
h=1.669m and F is the weight of the 2 cars so
W=mtotal *gravity*h which is also gonna be equal to 49071.54joules

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