Question

You’re playing with two of the carts (each with mass m) that you used in Activity 27a.

Initially, these two carts are moving toward each other with the same initial speed vi along the track.

The carts collide and the result is one of these final states:

(a) Assume that the carts hit each other and stop so that the final state of the system has both carts just sitting still (not moving). Draw a Momentum Chart for this situation. Make a separate row for each cart.

(b) Assume that the carts bounce off each other so that the final state of the system has each cart moving opposite to its initial motion but with their speeds unchanged. Draw a Momentum Chart for this situation.

(c) As in (b), assume that the carts bounce off each other but now assume that the final speeds are smaller than the initial speeds, equal and in opposite directions. Draw a Momentum Chart.

(d) For each case above, does the total momentum of the system that contains the two carts change? How do the Momentum Charts help you answer this question?

(e) Is the total kinetic energy constant for all three cases? How do you know?

Please work on the following on graph paper

Answer 1