Cart X (mass ) moves east at and collides with Cart Y (mass ) moving west at
PHYSICS · Subjective · A Level · Physics · Mechanics and materials · Mechanics and materials
Problem
Cart X (mass 1.0kg) moves east at 4.0ms−1 and collides with Cart Y (mass 2.0kg) moving west at 1.0ms−1. The two carts stick together. Immediately afterward, a third cart Z (mass 1.5kg) is to be gently coupled to the combined pair so that the final three-cart system has zero center-of-mass velocity. What velocity (magnitude and direction, with east taken as positive) must cart Z have just before coupling?