Question

Two carts of equal mass are in a collision. Cart A has a spring on the front and is moving forward to cart B, which is at rest. After cart A hits cart B, which of the following will occur?

1) cart A stops and cart B moves forward
2) cart A continues forward with the same speed as cart B
3) Cart A bounces backwards and cart B stays at rest.
4) cart A bounces backward and cart B moves forward

Answer 1

In an inelastic collision between two carts, Cart A will bounce backwards and Cart B will stay at rest.

Step-by-step explanation:

In an inelastic collision between two carts, such as Cart A and Cart B in this scenario, the two carts stick together after the collision. Therefore, option 3) Cart A bounces backwards and cart B stays at rest is the correct answer. collision between two carts of equal mass, where Cart A has a spring on the front and is moving toward Cart B, which is stationary. Considering the principles of conservation of momentum and the properties of elastic collisions, when Cart A with the spring hits Cart B, an elastic collision typically results in both bodies moving after the impact. However, since Cart A has a spring, it might bounce back depending on the nature of the collision. If the collision is perfectly elastic, Cart A will bounce back and Cart B will move forward with the velocity Cart A had before the collision, making option 4 the most likely outcome. Nevertheless, the exact behavior after the collision also depends on the spring constant and if the collision is not perfectly elastic.