A 3.0 kg cart is initially at rest on a frictionless
PHYSICS · Multi-part · ISC · Physics · Laws of Motion · Laws of Motion
Problem
A 3.0 kg cart is initially at rest on a frictionless, horizontal track. Beginning at t=0, a constant horizontal force of 10 N to the right acts on the cart for 0.50 s. Immediately afterward, a constant horizontal force of 6.0 N to the left acts on the cart for 1.0 s. No other horizontal forces are significant.
(a) Determine the cart’s momentum at t=0.50s.
(b) Calculate the cart’s velocity at t=1.50s.
(c) Sketch a qualitative graph of the cart’s momentum as a function of time from t=0 to t=1.50s, clearly indicating key numerical values.
(d) Does the cart’s momentum ever return to zero after t=0? If so, at what time? Justify your answer with quantitative reasoning.