Elastic Collision Problem - pretty sure my answer isn't right.

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
4 replies · 3K views
gh_pluvilias
Messages
8
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Walt and Wolfie collide in bumper cars of mass 50 kg each. Walt has a mass of 78 kg, and Wolfie has a mass of 61 kg. Walt strikes Wolfie from the rear at V = 3.7 m/s. If the collision is elastic, Wolfie is initially at rest, and Walt's final speed is 0.2655 m/s in the same direction, what is Wolfie's speed after the collision?


Homework Equations


m1*(u1^2)/2 = m1*(v1^2)/2 + m2*(v2^2)/2


The Attempt at a Solution


78*(3.7^2)/2 = 78*(0.2655^2)/2 + 61*(x^2)/2
and I get 4.17 m/s, but that doesn't seem right to me.
Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Why doesn't 4.17 m/s sound reasonable to you?
 
Then Wolfie's speed after the collision is higher than the velocity that Walt hit Wolfie with initially, which doesn't seem right.
 
Along SteamKing's lines, remember that the bumper cars are part of the kinetic energies we're talking about. With that said, Wolfie is less massive that Walt, so might it be conceivable that he's going faster than Walt was? We're talking about energy conservation, not velocity conservation.