A 13,500 kg railroad freight car travels on a level track at a speed of 4.5 m/s. It collides and couples with a 25,000 kg second car, initially at rest. What is the speed of the two cars after the collision?
A 13,500 kg railroad freight car travels on a level track at a speed of 4.5 m/s. It collides and couples with a 25,000 kg second car, initially at rest. What is the speed of the two cars after the collision?
Given: The mass of the first car is 13,500 kg.
The speed of the first car is 4.5 m/s.
The mass of the second car is 25,000 kg.
To determine: The speed of the two cars after the collision.
Assume the direction of the first car as positive,
The momentum of the system is conserved,
............................ (1)
where is the mass of the first car, is the mass of the second car, is the velocity of the first car before the collision, is the velocity of the second car after the collision, is the velocity of the first car after the collision and is the velocity of the second car after the collision.
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