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A car (mass \(=1100 \mathrm{~kg}\) ) is traveling at \(32 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{s}\) when it collides head-on with a sport utility vehicle (mass \(=2500 \mathrm{~kg}\) ) traveling in the opposite direction. In the collision, the two vehicles come to a halt. At what speed was the sport utility vehicle traveling?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The SUV was traveling at 14.08 m/s.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Problem

We are given two vehicles: a car with a mass of 1100 kg moving at 32 m/s, and a sport utility vehicle (SUV) with a mass of 2500 kg moving in the opposite direction. Both vehicles come to a stop after a head-on collision. We need to determine the speed of the SUV before the collision.
02

Apply the Law of Conservation of Momentum

The law of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision, provided no external forces act on the system. Here, since the vehicles come to rest after the collision, the final total momentum is 0.
03

Set Up the Initial Momentum Equation

Let the speed of the SUV be denoted as \( v \). The initial momentum of the car is \( 1100 \times 32 \) and the initial momentum of the SUV is \( 2500 \times v \). Since they move in opposite directions, their momenta will subtract: \[ 1100 \times 32 = 2500 \times v \]
04

Solve for the SUV's Speed

Rearrange the equation to solve for \( v \):\[ v = \frac{1100 \times 32}{2500} \]
05

Calculate the Value

Calculate the expression:\[ v = \frac{1100 \times 32}{2500} = 14.08 \]Thus, the SUV was traveling at 14.08 m/s.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Head-on collision
A head-on collision is a type of crash where two vehicles hit each other front-to-front. This kind of collision often results in significant impact because both vehicles carry their entire momentum towards each other.
For this particular scenario, the colliding car and sport utility vehicle (SUV) come to a complete stop after the collision. This indicates that all the momentum they carried before the crash is redistributed, meaning their combined momenta cancel each other out.
In head-on collisions, understanding vehicle masses and velocities is crucial, as these directly influence the momentum and the resulting calculations.
Initial momentum
Initial momentum refers to the total momentum a system possesses before any event or interaction, such as a collision. In physics, momentum is calculated as the product of mass and velocity.
For the exercise at hand, the car's initial momentum is computed by multiplying its mass (1100 kg) by its velocity (32 m/s), resulting in a total of 35200 kg·m/s.
The sport utility vehicle also has an initial momentum defined by its mass and its velocity before the crash, denoted as \( v \). Since the vehicles are moving towards each other, their momenta will subtract, as one is positive and the other is negative due to their different directions.
Final total momentum
The final total momentum after the collision is zero because both vehicles come to a complete stop. According to the conservation of momentum, if no external forces interfere, the total momentum before the collision equals total momentum afterward.
This means that, in this scenario, the car's and SUV's initial momenta have fully cancelled each other out by the end of the collision. The equation illustrating this conservation is set up using all initial momenta, leading to the calculation of each vehicle's speed prior to stopping.
Opposite directions
In this exercise, the car and the SUV were moving in opposite directions before the collision. It is important to note the distinction because it determines how their momenta are calculated.
Opposite directions introduce the concept of positive and negative momentum. If one vehicle's momentum is considered positive, the opposite-moving vehicle’s momentum should be negative.
  • Car's momentum: positive \(1100 \times 32\)
  • SUV's momentum: negative \(2500 \times v\)

The subtraction of these momenta reflects their opposing directions and is essential for solving the exercise correctly. Such distinction ensures the principle of conservation of momentum can be applied accurately in calculations, leading to finding the SUV's initial speed.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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