Question

A 1000 kg car traveling 60° south from east at 30 m/s collides with a 3000 kg truck traveling north at
20 m/s. The cars stick together after the collision.
a) Is the momentum of the tr uck conserved before and after the collision? Why?

b) Is the momentum of the car and tr uck together conserved before and after the collision?
Why?

c) Draw the velocity vector for the car before collision and write down the x and y component of
the momentum,

d) Draw the velocity vector for the truck before collision and write down the x and y component
of the momentum,

e) What is the magnitude and direction of velocity of the wreckage after the collision? (notice
that they stick together after collision)
Hint: calculate the momentum of the wreckage at each direction, and divide it by the total
mass.


f) If the friction coefficient for the wreckage sliding on the road is 0.5, how long does it take
for the wreckage to stop?
Hint: Calculate the friction force on the wreckage, and its total momemtum and use the
impulse formula to solve for the time.

Answer 1