Celebrate the Collision: Finding Velocity After the Impact

What happens when a 1485 kg car collides with a 2480 kg van?

How can we calculate the resulting direction and magnitude of their velocities post-collision?

Understanding the Impact

When a 1485 kg car traveling east at 26.0 m/s collides with a 2480 kg van traveling north at 20.0 m/s, the collision results in a new velocity for both vehicles. Using the principles of conservation of momentum and conservation of kinetic energy, we can determine the direction and magnitude of their velocities after the impact.

Conservation of Momentum and Kinetic Energy

After the collision, we need to apply the conservation laws to understand the resulting motion. The total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision. By analyzing the velocities of the car and the van before and after the collision, we can set up equations to solve for the final velocities.

Similarly, the conservation of kinetic energy allows us to equate the total kinetic energy before and after the collision. Calculating the kinetic energy of each vehicle and setting up equations based on this principle helps us find the velocities.

By solving the system of equations derived from these principles, we can determine that the resulting velocity of the car after the collision is approximately 15.6 m/s at an angle of 45 degrees south of east. The van's resulting velocity is approximately 10.4 m/s at an angle of 45 degrees west of north.