The problem involves a collision between a 2575-kg van and an 825-kg compact car, where they move together at a final velocity of 8.5 m/s. Using the principle of conservation of momentum, the initial speed of the van is calculated to be 11.2 m/s. The momentum before the collision is equal to the momentum after the collision, allowing for the determination of the van's initial speed as the only unknown variable in the equation.
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