In: Physics
A student runs an experiment with two carts on a low-friction track. As measured in the Earth reference frame, cart 1 (m = 0.48 kg ) moves from left to right at 1.0 m/s as the student walks along next to it at the same velocity. Let the +x direction be to the right.
a) What velocity v⃗ E2,i in the Earth reference frame must cart 2 (m = 0.16 kg ) have before the collision if, in the student's reference frame, cart 2 comes to rest right after the collision and cart 1 travels from right to left at 0.33 m/s?
b) What does the student measure for the momentum of the two-cart system?
c) What does a person standing in the Earth reference frame measure for the momentum of each cart before the collision?