What Is the Speed of Trucks After a Perfectly Inelastic Collision?

AI Thread Summary
In a perfectly inelastic collision involving two trucks of equal mass moving toward each other at speeds of 50 mi/hr and 60 mi/hr, the final speed of the combined trucks can be calculated using the conservation of momentum. By assigning a mass of 1 to each truck, the equation simplifies to 60 + (-50) = 2V_f, leading to a final speed of 5 mi/hr in the direction of the faster truck. The discussion emphasizes treating the speeds as vectors to account for their opposing directions. The calculation confirms that the final speed after the collision is indeed 5 mi/hr. Understanding vector addition is crucial for solving such collision problems.
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Homework Statement



Two trucks with same masses are moving toward each other along a straight line with speeds of 50 mi/hr and 60 mi/hr. What is the speed of the combined trucks after completely inelastic collision?

Homework Equations


P_{}1+P_{}2= (2M) V_{}f


The Attempt at a Solution



Given the trucks we can assign a random mass. To make it easy Mass = 1. So 60+50= 2V_{}f Solve it and you get 55 mi/hr. Is this correct?
 
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Think of the trucks as two vectors going the opposite direction. One with a magnitude of 50 mph and one with a magnitude of 60 mph. Take the sum of these two vectors.
 

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