Which cart has the greatest momentum?

Question

Alec · Answer

To determine which cart has the greatest momentum, we need to calculate the momentum of each cart. Momentum is calculated using the formula:

Momentum Formula:

Momentum (p) = mass (m) * velocity (v)

Given that all four carts move to the right with different masses and velocities, we can calculate the momentum for each cart:

Mass: 200 kg

Velocity: 4.8 m/s

Momentum: 200 kg * 4.8 m/s = 960 kg m/s

Mass: 220 kg (200 kg + 20 kg)

Velocity: 4.0 m/s

Momentum: 220 kg * 4.0 m/s = 880 kg m/s

Mass: 240 kg (200 kg + 40 kg)

Velocity: 3.8 m/s

Momentum: 240 kg * 3.8 m/s = 912 kg m/s

Mass: 260 kg (200 kg + 60 kg)

Velocity: 3.5 m/s

Momentum: 260 kg * 3.5 m/s = 910 kg m/s

After calculating the momentum of each cart, Cart A has the greatest momentum with 960 kg m/s.