Acar with a mass of 1.5 × 103 kilograms is traveling west at a velocity of 22 meters/second. it hits a stationary car with a mass of 9.0 × 102 kilograms. if the collision is inelastic, what is the final direction and approximate velocity of the two cars?
a. 14 meters/second to the west
b. 14 meters/second to the east
c. 22 meters/second to the east
d. 22 meters/second to the west

A. 14 meters/second to the west

Explanation:

The collision is inelastic, which means that:

- only the total momentum is conserved (not the kinetic energy)

- the two cars stick to each other and continue their motion together after the collision

Therefore, we can write the law of conservation of momentum as follows:

where:

is the mass of the first car

is the initial velocity of the first car (let's take as positive the west direction)

is the mass of the second car

is the initial velocity of the second car

is the final velocity of the two cars

Re-arranging the equation, we get:

So, approximately 14 m/s, and the direction is still west since the sign is positive.

an electric circuit