A car weighing 25 tons moves at a speed of 2 m / s and collides with a fixed platform weighing 15 tons.
A car weighing 25 tons moves at a speed of 2 m / s and collides with a fixed platform weighing 15 tons. Determine the speed of the joint movement of the car and the platform after the automatic coupler is triggered.
To find the value of the speed of the joint movement of the specified car and platform, we use the law of conservation of momentum: mw * Vw = Vwp * (mw + mp) and Vvp = mw * Vw / (mw + mp).
Variables: mw is the mass of the car (mw = 25 t); Vв – the speed of the car before the automatic coupler actuation (Vв = 2 m / s); mp – platform weight (mp = 15 t).
Let’s make a calculation: mw * Vw = mw * Vw / (mw + mp) = 25 * 2 / (25 + 15) = 50/40 = 1.25 m / s.
Answer: After automatic coupling, the specified car and platform will move at a speed of 1.25 m / s.