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SteelDirigibl
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Homework Statement
A 20kg cart traveling to the right at 8 m/s collides head-on with a 10 kg car traveling 6 m/s to the left. After the collision, the 10 kg cart is traveling 10 m/s to the right
a) What is the velocity of the 20 kg cart after the collision?
b) determine whether or not the collision is elastic (show calculations)
c) Discuss whether or not your answers to part a and b are reasonable. Include specific reasons why you think the answers are or are not reasonable
Homework Equations
p=mv
KE=1/2mv^2
The Attempt at a Solution
So pretty simple I think for the first two parts, but I got to thinking.
Well here's the math: 8*20=160 right, 10*6=60 left, so total 100 to right. Then after, the small cart is 10*10 or 100 to the right, so the 20kg cart would be stopped, according to the math.
Is this reasonable? it's larger and going faster?
Moving on... elasticity just means KE is equal before and after. before is 820 and after is 500. Therefore not elastic. This seems to make sense in the real world because energy would be lost by sound, and i want to say friction as heat, even though we didnt factor friction into the motion.
So I have my numbers, pretty sure they are right. is it reasonable? it doesn't seem like a larger cart moving faster would stop, but then I also think back to those metal balls that bounce back and forth and transfer their energy. Does this seem right?