How Much Kinetic Energy Is Lost in a Collision Between Two Toy Cars?

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To solve the collision problem, calculate the initial kinetic energy of both toy cars before impact, which involves using the formula KE = 0.5 * m * v^2 for each car. The 3 kg car traveling at 6 m/s has a kinetic energy of 54 J, and the 2 kg car at 4 m/s has 16 J, totaling 70 J before the collision. After the collision, when the cars stick together and move at 2 m/s, their combined kinetic energy is 6 J. The kinetic energy lost during the collision is the difference between the initial and final kinetic energies, resulting in a loss of 64 J. The problem emphasizes the conservation of momentum and highlights that it could have been simplified by calculating the final speed directly.
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hi just wondering how you would solve this problem

A 3 kg toy car with a speed of 6 m/s collides head on with a 2kg car traveling in the opposite direction with a speed of 4 m/s. If the cars are locked together after the collision with a speed of 2 m/s, how much kinetic energy is lost?
 
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Find the kinetic energies before impact. Then find the kinetic energy when the two stick together after impact. Find the difference.
 
Momentum is conserved, and kinetic energy is easy to calculate for each object. Incidentally, the problem is overspecified. They could have asked you to calculate the final speed from the masses and initial speeds.
 

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