Question

An accident has taken place, and the insurance company has sent their top physicist (you) to investigate. A 2000 kg truck (m2) has gotten into an accident with a 1500 kg car (m1). The two cars collided and stuck together leaving a straight, 50 m long skid mark (L). The mass of the two cars together (mT) is 3450 kg after the collision due to some parts falling off (ignore any physics involving the fallen parts). The coefficient of kinetic friction between the tires and the ground is 0.83 for both cars. If the speed limit is 30 m/s, determine which car was speeding, if at all, by obtaining the equation for each car’s velocity (in terms of given variables) and then calculating its speed.

Answer 1