Question

A 2000 kg Cadillac had just started its march from a stop sign when it was struck from behind by a 1000 kg Volkswagen. The bumpers locked and the two cars slid together until they stopped. Officer Tom, responding to the accident, measured that skid marks were 3.0 m long. The driver also testified that the speed of the Cadillac just before the impact was 5.0 m / s. Officer Tom accused the Volkswagen of driving recklessly. Should the Volkswagen driver also be accused of exceeding the speed limit of 50 km / h? The judge calls him as an "expert witness" to analyze the evidence. What is your conclusion?

Investigate and raise your arguments, based on collisions in one dimension.

Answer 1