Question

Two cars collide at an icy intersection and stick together afterward. The first car has a mass of 1050 kg and was approaching at 9.00 m/s due south. The second car has a mass of 800 kg and was approaching at 20.0 m/s due west.

(a) Calculate the final velocity of the cars. (Note that since both cars have an initial velocity, you cannot use the equations for conservation of momentum along the x-axis and y-axis; instead, you must look for other simplifying aspects..)

Magnitude: _____ m/s

Direction: _____ ° (counterclockwise from west is positive)

(b) How much kinetic energy is lost in the collision? (This energy goes into deformation of the cars.)

Answer 1