A car weighing 30 tons collided with another car. As a result of the collision, the first car received
A car weighing 30 tons collided with another car. As a result of the collision, the first car received an acceleration equal to 6m / s2, and the second – an acceleration equal to 12m / s2. Determine the mass of the second car.
Given:
m1 = 30 tons = 30,000 Newton – the mass of the first car;
a1 = 6 m / s2 (meters per second squared) is the acceleration that the first car received as a result of a collision with the second car;
a2 = 12 m / s2 is the acceleration that the second car received as a result of the collision.
It is required to determine m2 (kilogram) – the mass of the second car.
According to Newton’s third law, the force with which both cars interacted in a collision will be the same. Then:
F = m1 * a1 = 30,000 * 6 = 180,000 Newtons.
Then the mass of the second car will be equal to:
m2 = F / a2 = 180,000 / 12 = 15,000 kilograms (15 tons).
Answer: the mass of the second car will be 15,000 kilograms (15 tons).