Q8: Prb 2 - This problem has four parts to this. I will type out the questions for each of the four parts along with additional info in "Description" below.

Question

A cart of mass 4 kg is travelling to the right (which we will take to be the positive x-direction for this problem) at a speed of 8.8 m/s. It collides with a stationary cart that is three times as massive. After the collision, the more massive cart is moving at a speed of 1.5 m/s, to the right.

Part a) How much momentum, in the x-direction, was transferred to the more massive cart, in kilogram meters per second?

Part b) How much momentum, in the x-direction, was transferred to the less massive cart, in kilogram meters per second?

Part c) What was the final momentum, in the x-direction, of the first cart, in kilogram meters per second?

Part d) What was the final velocity, in the x-direction, of the first cart, in meters per second?

Answer 1

Hi Benson, student of many questions. :-)

This is a Conservation of Momentum problem.

M₁V₁ + M₂V₂ = M₁V₁^' + M₂V₂^'

There are six variables and the stated question gives you five of them.

Solve for V₁^'

Then calculate the impulse, MΔV, for each cart.

Watch the directions of the impulses and make sure that they are equal and opposite.