What direction does the wreckage move after two cars collide and stick together?

[aj_2008]

two cars, each of mass 1000 kg, are moving at the same speed, 20 m/s, when they collide and stick together. in what direction and at what speed does the wreckage move is one car was driving north and one south?

i can't seem to figure this one out

 

[Dick]

Use conservation of momentum.

 

[Perillux]

Just think about it aj_2008. You don't need any equations for this.

You have 2 cars, exact same mass, and exact same speed (opposite direction). So, this whole problem is perfectly symmetric. They collide. Now, does it make sense to you that they move to the right? Or to the left?

again, there is no difference between the 2 cars.