A 2189 kg car moving east at 9.73 m/s collides with a 3285 kg car moving north. The cars stick together and move as a unit after the collision, at an angle of 35.7◦ north of east and at a speed of 4.79 m/s.

Question

What was the speed of the 3285 kg car
before the collision?
Answer in units of m/s

Answer 1

Use the equation m1u1 + m2u2 = m1v1 + m2v2
(mass 1 x its initial velocity + mass 2 x its initial velocity = mass 1 x its final velocity + mass 2 x its final velocity)

Answer 2

78