Inelastic Collision Problem. Help

AI Thread Summary
In an inelastic collision problem, a moving cart of mass 1.2 kg at 3 m/s collides with a stationary block of wood weighing 0.8 kg. Since the collision is inelastic, momentum is conserved while kinetic energy is not. The total momentum before the collision can be calculated using the masses and velocities of both objects. By applying the principle of momentum conservation, the velocity of the combined mass after the collision can be determined. This approach effectively finds the velocity of the composite body post-collision.
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Homework Statement



A cart of mass 1.2 kg that is moving to the right qt 3m/s collides on a block of wood of mass 0.8 kg that is lying at rest on top of a frictionless table. if the collision is inelastic, find the velocity of the composite body.

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The Attempt at a Solution


 
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you know that the collision is inelastic, so kinetic energy will not be conserved, but momentum will be. You know the masses and the velocities before the collision as well as their velocities, and you can safely assume that mass is conserved, you can use momentum conservation to find the velocity of the composite body.
 
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