Question

As part of an interview for a summer job with the Coast Guard, you are asked to help determine the search area for two sunken ships by calculating their velocity just after they collided. According to the last radio transmission from the 50.000-ton cruise ship, the Hangover, it was going due west at a speed of 20 knots in calm seas through the fog just before it was struck broadside by the 70,000-ton ore freighter, the Ironhorse, which was traveling north at 10 knots. The transmission also noted that when the freighter's bow pierced the hull of the liner, the two ships stuck together and sank together. Your answer must be organized, dear, and include the elements of the problem solving path: Focus the Problem Describe the Physics Plan the Solution Execute and Evaluate

Answer 1

the two ship stuck together after collision so its the case of inelastic collision

50000 ton = 45359237 kg

70000 ton = 63502932 kg

20 knot = 10.2889 m/s

10 knot = 5.14444 m/s

by conservation of momentum

initial horizontal momentum = final horizontal momentum

45359237 * 10.2889 = (45359237 + 63502932) * v_x

v_x = 4.287 m/s

initial vertical momentum = final vertical momentum

63502932 * 5.14444 = (45359237 + 63502932) * v_y

v_y = 3 m/s

resultant velocity = sqrt(v_x^2 + v_y^2)

resultant velocity = sqrt(4.287^2 + 3^2)

velocity just after collision = 5.232 m/s