Question

If a car is travelling with a positive velocity, and after it collides with another car moving with a negative velocity, it is still moving with a positive velocity, in which direction could the second car be moving? (Select all that apply)

Answer 1

Answer: In the direction of the first car.

Explanation:

Let the initial velocity of the first car be equal to U1 and the initial velocity of the second car be equal to U2

Given that the car is travelling with a positive velocity, and after it collides with another car moving with a negative velocity, the momentum before collision will be

M1U1 - M2U2

If the first car is still moving with a positive velocity, the second car will also be moving in the direction of the first car if the collision is inelastic collision.

Therefore, the direction of the second car will be positive direction if the collision is inelastic collision.