A car (mass 5 1100 kg) is traveling at 32 m/s when it collides headon with a sport utility vehicle (mass 5 2500 kg) traveling in the opposite direction. In the collision, the two vehicles come to a halt. At what speed was the sport utility vehicle traveling?

speed was the sport utility vehicle traveling is 14.08 m/s

Explanation:

Given data

car mass m1 = 1100 kg

speed s = 32 m/s

vehicle mass m2 = 2500 kg

to find out

speed was the sport utility vehicle traveling

solution

we will apply here conservation of momentum law

the momentum change of car is equal and opposite of the momentum change of vehicle

so equation are

m1 v1 - m2 v2 = 0

so here v2 will be

v2 = (m1 / m2) v1

put here all these value we get

v2 = (1100 / 2500) 32

v2 = 14.08 m/s

so speed was the sport utility vehicle traveling is 14.08 m/s