Angle Calculation for Car-Truck Collision

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To calculate the angle of the car-truck combination after their collision, the momentum vectors of both vehicles must be added. The blue car, with a mass of 431 kg moving east at 19 m/s, collides with a purple truck weighing 1298 kg moving south at 12 m/s. After the collision, the two vehicles lock together, requiring the use of the momentum conservation principle to find the resultant vector. The angle can be determined using the arctangent function applied to the ratio of the y-component to the x-component of the resultant momentum. This approach provides the angle south of east for the combined motion post-collision.
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Car Truck Collisins w/ ANGLES!

Homework Statement



A blue car with mass mc = 431 kg is moving east with a speed of vc = 19 m/s and collides with a purple truck with mass mt = 1298 kg that is moving south with a speed of vt = 12 m/s . The two collide and lock together after the collision.



Homework Equations


What is the angle that the car-truck combination travel after the collision? (give your answer as an angle South of East


The Attempt at a Solution



I have no idea, something to do with adding the vectors. I just don't know how to incorporate the angle
 
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aszymans said:

Homework Statement



A blue car with mass mc = 431 kg is moving east with a speed of vc = 19 m/s and collides with a purple truck with mass mt = 1298 kg that is moving south with a speed of vt = 12 m/s . The two collide and lock together after the collision.



Homework Equations


What is the angle that the car-truck combination travel after the collision? (give your answer as an angle South of East


The Attempt at a Solution



I have no idea, something to do with adding the vectors. I just don't know how to incorporate the angle

You will be adding the momentum vectors - so start by using mass and velocity for each vehicle to get the momentum of each.

NOTE: These questions are really frustrating in the masses used [not your fault].
The minimum weight of a Formula 1 racing car [a glorified go-cart] is 640 kg. The idea of having a car of mass 431 kg is fanciful.
A modern Small car has a mass around 1000 kg, and even a small truck will have a mass around 3000 kg.
 


Which principle do you think we usually use in a collision problem?
 


grzz said:
Which principle do you think we usually use in a collision problem?

I'm assuming that was rhetorical. :P

I think you should just find the resultant of the momentum vectors, and then arctan[(y-component)/(x-component)] (components of resultant) should give you the angle.
 


I was encouraging the original poster to a better attemp!
 


Right. Sorry.
 

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