Two bumper cars are driven straight toward
each other. The mass of bumper car 1 is
110.0 kg, and the mass of bumper car 2 is
170.0 kg.
Bumper car 1 has a velocity of 1.5 m/s and bumper car 2 has a velocity of -2.0 m/s.
The final velocity of bumper car 1 is -2.75 m/s
What is the velocity of bumper car 2 immediately after the collision?


Answer :

By conservation of momentum,

(110.0 kg) (1.5 ms⁻¹) + (170.0 kg) (-2.0 ms⁻¹) = (110.0 kg) (-2.75 ms⁻¹) + (170.0 kg) v

where v is the final velocity of the second car.

Solve for v :

-175 kg•ms⁻¹ = -302.5 kg•ms⁻¹ + (170.0 kg) v

127.5 kg•ms⁻¹ = (170.0 kg) v

v = (127.5 kg•ms⁻¹) / (170.0 kg) = 0.75 ms⁻¹