Understanding the Concepts
* Conservation of Momentum: In an isolated system (no external forces), the total momentum before a collision equals the total momentum after the collision.
* Momentum: Momentum is a measure of an object's mass in motion. It's calculated as:
* Momentum (p) = mass (m) * velocity (v)
Calculations
1. Initial Momentum:
* Car 1 (at rest): p1 = 0 kg*m/s (since its velocity is 0)
* Car 2: p2 = 1000 kg * 10 m/s = 10000 kg*m/s
* Total initial momentum: p_initial = p1 + p2 = 10000 kg*m/s
2. Final Momentum:
* Let the final velocity of the two cars stuck together be 'v'.
* Total mass after collision: 1000 kg + 1000 kg = 2000 kg
* Total final momentum: p_final = 2000 kg * v
3. Conservation of Momentum:
* p_initial = p_final
* 10000 kg*m/s = 2000 kg * v
4. Solving for the final velocity (v):
* v = 10000 kg*m/s / 2000 kg
* v = 5 m/s
Answer: The speed of the two cars stuck together after the collision is 5 m/s.
