Chapter 8, Problem 27P

Accident analysis. Two cars collide at an intersection Car A, with a mass 2000 kg, is going from west to east, while car B, of mass 1500 kg is going from north to south at 15 m/s. As a result of this collision, the two cars become enmeshed and move as one afterward. In your role as an expert witness, you inspect the scene and determine that, after the collision, the enmeshed cars moved at an angle of 65° south of east from the point of impact. (a) How fast were the enmeshed cars moving just after the collision? (b) How fast was car A going just before the collision?