Question

Two air track carts move along an air track towards each other. Cart A has a mass of 450 g and moves toward the right with a speed of 0.850 m/s. Cart B has a mass of 270 g and moves toward the left with a speed of 1.12 m/s. What is the total momentum of the two-cart system? Give your answer in kg m/s, to three significant firgures. Your Answer: Answer units

Answer 1

Solution:

Given that

Mass of cart A = 450g

Velocity of cart A = 0.850 m/s moves rightward

Mass of cart B = 270g

Velocity of cart B = 1.12 m/s moves leftward

We know that

when working with 1-D collisions v must represent velocity and can be + or -. We generally indicate rightward velocity with a positive number and leftward velocity with a negative number.

Total momentum (p) = M​​​​​a × V​​​​​a + M​​​​​​b× (- V​b )

= 450 × 0.850 + 270×(- 1.12)

= 80.1 g-m / s rightward