Question

A 1200 kg car traveling North at 20.0 m/s collides with a 1400 kg car traveling South at 22.0 m/s. The two cars collide and entangle. What is the resulting velocity of the wreckage?

Answer 1

mass of the car 1, m1 = 1200 kg

initial velocity of the car, u1 = 20 m/s

mass of the car 2, m2 = 1400 kg

initial velocity of the car, u2 = 22 m/s

after the collision, the two car move together

Using momentum conservation along north south direction

m1u1 + m2u2 = ( m1 + m2 )V

1200 ( 20 ) + 1400 ( 22 ) = ( 1200 + 1400 ) V

24000 + 30800 = 2600 V

54800 = 2600 V

V = 2600/54800

V = 0.0474 m/s