Why would the car move forward after being hit

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Homework Statement



Explain why vehicle 1 traveled 5 ft further than vehicle 2 before coming to rest. Would you have expected it to come to rest at the same time as vehicle 2? Why or why not?
Mass of vehicle 1 = 1406.13 kg
mass of vehicle 2= 1950.45 kg

Homework Equations


Newtons third law

The Attempt at a Solution



I figured out that once they collide they become stuck for a few seconds and then separate with the first car traveling 5 ft further. The accerelation I found out was -7.84m/s^2.

I was thinking maybe the car travels further due to Newtons third law of equal and opposite forces.
How when a object of larger mass hits a object of smaller mass the larger mass still moves forward alittle bit b4 it stops and the force of the larger mass gets transferred to the smaller cart.

Am I on the right track? I don't know how to explain it further...

here is the diagram of the car accident
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt92/…
 
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Or Maybe does inertia of after the two cars seperating make sense?
 
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt92/o0griff0o/crashcar.png
Hopefully this works

The scenerio is someone is driving east from west towards an intersection. Another person is driving from from North 20 degrees west towards the intesection. And they both collide.
 
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I think you might need to calculate the angles then add up the vectors. The answer should lie within the vectors.

If that's what you mean?

But I'm not exactly sure ; )
 
o0griff0o said:

Homework Statement



Explain why vehicle 1 traveled 5 ft further than vehicle 2 before coming to rest. Would you have expected it to come to rest at the same time as vehicle 2? Why or why not?
Mass of vehicle 1 = 1406.13 kg
mass of vehicle 2= 1950.45 kg

Homework Equations


Newtons third law

The Attempt at a Solution



I figured out that once they collide they become stuck for a few seconds and then separate with the first car traveling 5 ft further. The accerelation I found out was -7.84m/s^2.

I was thinking maybe the car travels further due to Newtons third law of equal and opposite forces.
How when a object of larger mass hits a object of smaller mass the larger mass still moves forward alittle bit b4 it stops and the force of the larger mass gets transferred to the smaller cart.

Am I on the right track? I don't know how to explain it further...

here is the diagram of the car accident
http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt92/…

Hint -- what stops the cars? Why should what stops the cars be equal in force (or why may it not be the same)?
 
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Well I'm the friction is what stops the cars but I don't see how friction makes the other car go another 5 feet...
 
o0griff0o said:
Well I'm the friction is what stops the cars but I don't see how friction makes the other car go another 5 feet...

Yep, very good. Friction is what makes the cars stop. What could vary to make the two cars experience different friction coefficients with the road and whatever else they slid across? Also, were all 8 wheels locked during the whole event...?
 
I get it, so at the point where vehicle 2 stops, that is when vehicle 1 is on the grass. Since the coefficient of friction of the grass is much lower, that is why he stops 5 feet after =D
 
o0griff0o said:
I get it, so at the point where vehicle 2 stops, that is when vehicle 1 is on the grass. Since the coefficient of friction of the grass is much lower, that is why he stops 5 feet after =D

That would be a good guess!