Find Velocity of Recoiling Railcar with Conservation of Momentum

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the velocity of a recoiling railroad flatcar using the conservation of momentum principle. When two hobos, each with mass \( m_{\text{h}} \), run and jump off a stationary flatcar of mass \( m_{\text{fc}} \) with speed \( u \) relative to the car, the resulting velocity \( v \) of the recoiling flatcar is derived as \( v = \frac{2m_{\text{h}}}{m_{\text{fc}} + 2m_{\text{h}}}u \). The derivation involves setting up the momentum equation and simplifying it to find the relationship between the masses and the velocities. This problem is sourced from the book "Classical Mechanics" by John Taylor.

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Two hobos, each of mass $m_{\text{h}}$, are standing at one end of a stationary railroad flatcar with frictionless wheels and mass $m_{\text{fc}}$.
Either hobo can run to the other end of the flatcar and jump off with the same speed $u$ (relative to the car).

Use conservation of momentum to find the speed of the recoiling car if the two men run and jump off simultaneously.

Let $v$ be the velocity of the recoiling car.
Then
\begin{alignat*}{3}
m_{\text{fc}}v & = & 2m_{\text{h}}(u - v)\\
v & = & \frac{2m_{\text{h}}}{m_{\text{fc}}}(u - v)
\end{alignat*}

The solution is $v = \frac{2m_{\text{h}}}{2m_{\text{h}}+m_{\text{fc}}}u$.
How did they get that?
 
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Well, expanding the product gets us

$$m_{fc} v = 2m_h (u-v) = 2m_h u - 2m_h v,$$

and from that

$$m_{fc} v + 2m_h v = (m_{fc} + 2m_h) v = 2m_h u.$$

Finally,

$$v = \frac{2m_h}{m_{fc} + 2m_h} u.$$

If you don't mind me asking, is this question from the book Classical Mechanics by John Taylor? :D

Cheers.
 
It is from that book but I figured out what they did before you posted; hence, the post was marked solved before then.
 

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