a 2000kg car travelling west with a speed of 20m/s collides at an intersection with a 3000kg car travelling south at a speed of 20m/s. find the direction and magnitude of the velocity of the wreckage after the collision, assuming the collision was perfectly inelastic(that is, they stick together).

Answer 1

west inertia before = west inertia after

2000 * 20 = 5000 * Vwest

south inertia before = south inertia after

3000 * 20 = 5000 * Vsouth

V = sqrt (Veast^2+Vsouth^2)

tangent of angle west of south = Vwest/Vsouth

compass course = 180 + that angle