A low-friction linear air track holds three carts that can move only along the track
PHYSICS · Multi-part · CBSE · Physics · Work, Energy and Power · Work, Energy and Power
Problem
A low-friction linear air track holds three carts that can move only along the track. Cart A has mass 1.5kg and is initially moving to the right with speed 4.0m/s. Cart B is a 0.50kg block of soft clay stuck to the front of cart A so that when they collide they stick together and move as a single object. Cart C is a 2.0kg cart at rest 1.2m ahead of cart B. The front end of cart C is equipped with an ideal spring bumper so that any collision with it is perfectly elastic along the line of motion. Neglect friction and the mass of the spring.
(1) Part 1: (a) Determine the speed of the combined A+B object immediately after the inelastic collision between A and B.
(2) Part 2: (b) The combined object then strikes cart C and the collision is perfectly elastic. Determine the speed and direction of each cart after this elastic collision.
(3) Part 3: (c) Calculate the percentage of the original kinetic energy of cart A that was converted to non-mechanical forms during the inelastic collision with the clay block.
(4) Part 4: (d) Using your results, discuss whether momentum and kinetic energy are conserved in each collision and in the entire two-collision sequence. Support your discussion with quantitative evidence.