Question

At a busy intersection, a 1320-kg car traveling west with a speed of 12 m/s collides head-on with a minivan traveling east with a speed of 9.4 m/s. The cars stick together and move with a velocity of 1.5 m/s to the east after the collision. What is the mass of the minivan

Answer 1

p = mv so this question pertains to conservation of momentum.

The momentum of the car is 1320*12 = 15840kgms^-1
For the sake of easiness and the fact negatives are annoying, I will assume east to be positive.

So we know 9.4m - 15840 = (1320+m)*1.5
9.4m - 15840 = 1980+1.5m

Rearranging to solve for m
7.9m = 17820
m = 2255.70 = 2300kg to 2sf

Answer 2

The mass of the minivan is 2255.69 kg.

To calculate the mass of the minivan, we use the formula below.

Formula:

• mu+m'u' = V(m+m')............... Equation 1

Where:

• m = mass of the car
• m' = mass of the minivan
• u = initial velocity of the car
• u' = initial velocity of the minivan
• V = common velocity.

From the question,

Assuming: East = positive direction, west = negative direction.

Given:

• m = 1320 kg
• u = -12 m/s
• u' = 9.4 m/s
• V = 1.5 m/s

Substitute these values into equation 1

• -12(1320)+(m'×9.4) = 1.5(1320+m')

Solve for m'

• -15840+9.4m' = 1980+1.5m'

Collect like terms.

• 9.4m'-1.5m' = 1980+15840
• 7.9m' = 17820
• m' = 17820/7.9
• m' = 2255.69 kg.

Hence, The mass of the minivan is 2255.69 kg.

Learn more about mass here : https://brainly.com/question/15476873