Solving a Collision Problem: 10,000 kg Locomotive & 620 kg Automobile

[BobbyTee]

Basically, we learned collision today in class and I didn't understand a single thing :/.

If anyone can try and walk me through this problem I'd appreciate it.


A 620 kg abandoned automobile sits in the middle of the railroad tracks. The engineer of an oncoming 10,000 kg locomotive traveling at 10 m/s is unable to stop the train in time. The two collide and continue to travel along the tracks as one. What is the velocity of the train/ca combination after the collision?

 

[sagardip]

This is a problem where a completely inelastic collision takes place.In a completely inelastic collision the two colliding bodies stick together after the collision. In this type of collision the total energy of the two bodies don't remain conserved but their momentum is conserved as energy is lost as heat and in doing work against other external forces.So in order to find their common velocity after collision you will need to apply the law of conservation of momentum.

 

[BobbyTee]

This is a problem where a completely inelastic collision takes place.In a completely inelastic collision the two colliding bodies stick together after the collision. In this type of collision the total energy of the two bodies don't remain conserved but their momentum is conserved as energy is lost as heat and in doing work against other external forces.So in order to find their common velocity after collision you will need to apply the law of conservation of momentum.

Can you elaborate a little bit more? I didn't understand a single thing in class today because I was half asleep.

Like, what is the law of conservation of momentum?

Sorry if I'm asking for too much, I just registered to this site.