Two identical cars travel one behind the other. The rear car is traveling faster and strikes the front car in a rear-end collision as shown in the figure below. What happens to the velocities of the two cars, assuming that the collision is completely elastic?
The front car speeds up and the rear car slows down.
In a completely elastic collision, momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. When the faster rear car strikes the slower front car, the front car will gain velocity as it is propelled forward, while the rear car will lose some of its velocity due to the transfer of momentum.
This choice correctly describes the outcome of a completely elastic collision. The rear car, traveling faster, strikes the front car, transferring some of its momentum to the front car, which results in the front car speeding up and the rear car slowing down.
This choice is incorrect because for both cars to speed up, the rear car would need to impart more kinetic energy than it possesses, which is not possible in a collision. The rear car's speed cannot increase after the collision due to the conservation of momentum; it must lose some speed for the front car to gain velocity.
This choice contradicts the principles of elastic collisions. The front car cannot slow down when it is hit by the rear car; instead, it gains speed due to the momentum transferred from the rear car. The rear car cannot speed up after the collision, as it is losing momentum.
This option is incorrect as both cars slowing down would imply a total loss of kinetic energy, which violates the conservation of momentum in an elastic collision. The rear car loses speed, but the front car gains speed, leading to a net increase in kinetic energy for the system.
In a completely elastic collision between two identical cars, the rear car transfers momentum to the front car, resulting in the front car speeding up while the rear car slows down. This outcome aligns with the principles of momentum conservation and kinetic energy conservation, distinguishing it from other scenarios that would incorrectly suggest both cars either speeding up or slowing down.
Related Questions
View allA heavy rain produces runoff. Which reservoir does the water become a...
Sir Isaac Newton discovered that when one object applies a force to an...
Consider the location of nitrogen (N) on the periodic table. Which ele...
A group of scientists perform an experiment involving the interaction...
In which scenario does gravity cause the change in the object's motion...
Related Quizzes
View all0PC1 Planning Instructional Strategies for Meaningful Learning Version 1
AP01 Elementary Literacy Curriculum Version 1
AQ01 Applied Healthcare Statistics C784 Version 1
ASO1 Introduction to Statistics for Research Version 1
BJ01 Introduction to Business Finance Version 1
C172 Network and Security Foundations Version 1
C180 Introduction to Psychology Version 1
C180 Introduction to Psychology Version 2
CKC1 Introduction to Humanities Version 1
DZ01 Mathematics for Elementary Educators III MATH 1330 Version 1
- ✓ 500+ Practice Questions
- ✓ Detailed Explanations
- ✓ Progress Analytics
- ✓ Exam Simulations