How Do You Calculate the Initial Velocity of a Car in a Perpendicular Collision?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around calculating the initial velocity of a car involved in a perpendicular collision with a motorcycle. The motorcycle has a mass of 200 kg and a speed of 120 km/h, while the car has a mass of 600 kg. The momentum of the motorcycle before the collision is calculated to be 24000 kgm/h. The conservation of momentum is applied, leading to the conclusion that the initial velocity of the car is 0, which suggests it was stationary before the collision. This calculation raises questions about the accuracy of the assumptions made in the momentum analysis.
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Homework Statement



A motorcycle with a mass of m1 = 200 kg and a speed of v1 = 120 km/h collides with a car of mass m2 = 600 kg, traveling in a perpendicular direction to the motorcycle. After the collision, both vehicles travel in a direction that forms an angle of 60°.

Find the initial velocity of the car.

Homework Equations



P = m * v
I = Pf - Pi

The Attempt at a Solution



So basically I would need to know if what I did is ok. I have attached the attempt at the solution. Thansks in advance guys!
 

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I first calculated the momentum of the motorcycle before the collision:Pm = m1 * v1 = 200 kg * 120 km/h = 24000 kgm/hThen I calculated the momentum after the collision, using the conservation of momentum:Pfin = Pm + Mc = 24000 kgm/h + 600 kg * vc = 24000 kgm/h + 600vSince the momenta are conserved, I set the initial and final momentum to be the same:24000 kgm/h = 24000 kgm/h + 600v600v = 0Therefore, the velocity of the car is 0.
 

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