Question

Two identical cars each of mass 1.8 metric tons, collide head-on during a crash-test. One car was moving at speed 50 mi/hr before the collision, the other car was moving at 63 mi/hr. After the collision, the two cars skid together until they come to rest. What was the total impulse magnitude exerted by friction on the cars after the collision? Consider the same situation as before, only after the crash, the cars skid for a short distance before ending up on an oil slick and sliding approximately frictionlessly with a final speed of 2 mi/hr. What was the impulse magnitude exerted on the two cars by friction while they were skidding, up until they reached the oil slick?

Answer 1