Physics 9 fr prac prob 13

Question

A small, 200 g cart is moving at 1.30 m/s on an air track when it collides with a larger, 2.00 kg cart at rest. After the collision, the small cart recoils at 0.890 m/s.

What is the speed of the large cart after the collision?

Answer 1

If v is the speed of the larger cart after collision, equating momentum before to momentum after:

0.200 * 1.30 = - 0.200 * 0.890 + 2.00v

0.26 = - 0.178 + 2.00v

v = (0.26 + 0.178) / 2

= 0.219 m/s.