Conservation of momentum of a colliding car

In summary, two cars, one with a mass of 1200 kg and a velocity of 8 m/s moving eastward, and the other with a mass of 1800 kg and a velocity of 6 m/s moving southward, collide at an intersection. After the collision, they stick together and have a combined velocity of 4.82 m/s. To determine the final velocity, the momentum of each car was resolved into x and y components and the Pythagorean theorem was used to find the final velocity components.
  • #1
DrDanger
44
0

Homework Statement


A 1200 kg car moving eastward at 8 m/s approaches an intersection where it unfortunately collides with an 1800 kg car going southward at 6 m/s. If they stick together, how fast do they move after the collision? The answer is 4.82 m/s


Homework Equations


a^2+b^2=c^2, p=mv, p before + p before = p after + p after


The Attempt at a Solution


V=mv+mv/m+m
 
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  • #2
I think you will want to resolve the momentum into x,y momentum equations and determine the x,y velocity components, before using the Pythagorean.
 
  • #3
LowlyPion said:
I think you will want to resolve the momentum into x,y momentum equations and determine the x,y velocity components, before using the Pythagorean.

how do i determine the velocity components?? i can get the momentum components easily by multiplying the velocity and mass...right?
 
  • #4
DrDanger said:
how do i determine the velocity components?? i can get the momentum components easily by multiplying the velocity and mass...right?

The car going East is can be be expressed as

M1V1 = M1*|V1| x + 0 y = 1200*8 x = 9600 x

And the one going south ...

M2V2 = 0 x + M2*|V2| y = 1800*(-6) y = - 10800 y

Now you have an inelastic collision, so in the X direction

9600 = V'*(1200 + 1800) x = 9600/3000 x

and so on until you have the 2 components of the final V'.
 

What is conservation of momentum?

Conservation of momentum is a fundamental law of physics which states that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant. In other words, the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

How does conservation of momentum apply to a colliding car?

In the case of a colliding car, the total momentum of the two cars before the collision is equal to the total momentum of the two cars after the collision. This means that the combined mass and velocity of the two cars remains constant before and after the collision.

What factors affect the conservation of momentum in a colliding car?

The two main factors that affect the conservation of momentum in a colliding car are the mass and velocity of the cars. The greater the mass and velocity of the cars, the greater the momentum and the more significant the effect of conservation of momentum.

Can momentum be lost in a collision?

No, momentum cannot be lost in a collision. It can only be transferred from one object to another. This is because of the law of conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant.

What are some real-world applications of conservation of momentum in car collisions?

Conservation of momentum is important in understanding and predicting the outcome of car collisions. It is also used in designing and testing safety features for cars, such as crumple zones and airbags, to reduce the impact of collisions on the occupants of the car.

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