Attempt 2 You have been called to testify as an expert witness in a trial involving a head-on collision. Car A weighs 15151515 lb and was traveling eastward. Car B weighs 11251125 lb and was traveling westward at 42.042.0 mph. The cars locked bumpers and slid eastward with their wheels locked for 17.517.5 ft before stopping. You have measured the coefficient of kinetic friction between the tires and the pavement to be 0.7500.750 . How fast (in miles per hour) was car A traveling just before the collision

v = 28.98 ft / s

Explanation:

For this problem we must solve it in parts, let's start by looking for the speed of the two cars after the collision

In the exercise they indicate the weight of each car

          Wₐ = 1500 lb

          W_b = 1125 lb

Car B's velocity from v_b = 42.0 mph westward, car A travels east

let's find the mass of the vehicles

             W = mg

             m = W / g

             mₐ = Wₐ / g

             m_b = W_b / g

             mₐ = 1500/32 = 46.875 slug

             m_b = 125/32 = 35,156 slug

Let's reduce to the english system

             v_b = 42.0 mph (5280 foot / 1 mile) (1h / 3600s) = 61.6 ft / s

We define a system formed by the two vehicles, so that the forces during the crash have been internal and the moment is preserved

we assume the direction to the east (right) positive

initial instant. Before the crash

           p₀ = mₐ v₀ₐ - m_b v_{ob}

final instant. Right after the crash

           p_f = (mₐ + m_b) v

the moment is preserved

           p₀ = p_f

           mₐ v₀ₐ - m_b v_{ob} = (mₐ + m_b) v

           v =

we substitute the values

           v =

           v = 0.559 v₀ₐ - 26.40                  (1)

Now as the two vehicles united we can use the relationship between work and kinetic energy

the total mass is

              M = mₐ + m_b

              M = 46,875 + 35,156 = 82,031 slug

starting point. Jsto after the crash

              K₀ = ½ M v²

final point. When they stop

             K_f = 0

The work is

             W = - fr x

the negative sign is because the friction forces are always opposite to the displacement

Let's write Newton's second law

Axis y

           N-W = 0

           N = W

the friction force has the expression

            fr = μ N

we substitute

            -μ W x = Kf - Ko

            -μ W x = 0 - ½ (W / g) v²

            v² = 2 μ g x  

            v = Ra (2 0.750 32 17.5  

            v = 28.98 ft / s

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