If two cars approach near with a speed of 100km/hr, one from the west and one from the east, collide. Where will the position of the cars be after collision?

Question

anonymous · Answer

It depends on how they collide!

harsha19111999 · Answer

Like how?

anonymous · Answer

It is because yet they never have the same velocity at any instant in time.

anonymous · Answer

Also it has to be a perfect crash so controlled that even i think it can be figured out what will be the positions

anonymous · Answer

it is depend on momentum of cars..

harsha19111999 · Answer

@ varinderdikh the mass of small car is 100 kg and the larger one is 1000 kg. So momentum can be calculate. What will be their position?

anonymous · Answer

They will be in the same position as before the collision.

anonymous · Answer

It depends on which car is heavier
For the sake of simplicity lets us assume that car A mass 1000kg and velocity 100kmph moves towards east
And car B mass 100kg and velocity 100kmph towards moving towards west
For the sake of convention assume that east is +ve x-direction and west -ve (1-D collision)
Then the total momentum before collision is 10^5 kgkmph - 10^4 kgkmph = 9*10^4 kgkmph (due east)
So after collision the CoM of the system tends to move towards east direction only
The position depends upon lot of other factors like the manner of collision, is it head on or there is an eccentric displacement between the lines of action and also how large are the cars, the mass distribution and whether or not you consider them perfectly rigid and many other factors

anonymous · Answer

It really depends on the mass and momentum of the cars. If car A has a mass of 1000 kg and car B has a mass of 100 kg, and the velocity of both cars is proportional to their mass (in this case x10), then Car A would steer, for lack of the better term, the collision towards the direction in which Car A was approaching from. 

As it's said, the force generated by both cars is not equal, therefore Car B, which has a greater mass, and generates more force, would push Car A in the opposite direction.

However, this answer ignores several factors such as whether Car A or B is approaching from an incline or whether air resistance plays a part or friction between the asphalt and the tires even.