Two cars of equal mass approach an intersection. Car A is moving east at a speed of 45 m/s. Car B is moving south at a speed of 35 m/s. They collide inelastically and stick together after the collision, moving as one object. Which of the following statements is true about the center-of-mass velocity of this system? a. The center-of-mass velocity will decrease after the collision as a result of lost energy (but not drop to zero). b. The center-of-mass velocity will remain the same after the collision since momentum is conserved. c. The center-of-mass velocity will drop to zero since the two objects stick together. d. The magnitude of the center-of-mass velocity will remain the same, but the direction of the velocity will change.
Two cars of equal mass approach an intersection. Car A is moving east at a speed of 45 m/s. Car B is moving south at a speed of 35 m/s. They collide inelastically and stick together after the collision, moving as one object. Which of the following statements is true about the center-of-mass velocity of this system?
a. The center-of-mass velocity will decrease after the collision as a result of lost energy (but not drop to zero).
b. The center-of-mass velocity will remain the same after the collision since momentum is conserved.
c. The center-of-mass velocity will drop to zero since the two objects stick together.
d. The magnitude of the center-of-mass velocity will remain the same, but the direction of the velocity will change.
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