Question

Two carts are rolling to the right along the same level track. Cart 1 (m1 = 3.81 kg) is in the rear, rolling at a speed of 6.25 m/s and catching up to cart 2, rolling at 3.07 m/s.

Round final results to 3 digits.

a) Cart 1 of course overtakes and collides with cart 2. Velcro pads on the carts make them stick together during the collision, after which they both continue rolling right, but at a speed of 4.40 m/s. What is cart 2's mass?

b) A bit later, the joined carts suffer a head-on collision with a third cart (m3 = 6.54 kg), rolling left at 2.87 m/s. This collision knocks carts 1 and 2 apart: just afterwards, cart 1 is rolling left at 4.95 m/s, but cart 2 is still rolling right, now at 3.14 m/s.

c) Without any calculations, what can we predict about the magnitude and direction of cart 3's velocity, compared to cart 2, just after the collision? Explain.

d) Calculate the post-collision velocity of cart 3.

e) Was the second collision elastic, inelastic, or completely inelastic? Show all work and explain.

Answer 1