The Greatest Momentum: Which Cart Dominates?

What is momentum?

The definition of momentum is "mass in motion." Since every item has mass, if it is moving, it must have momentum because its mass is in motion. Mass and velocity are two factors that affect momentum. According to an equation, an object's momentum is determined by multiplying its mass by its velocity.

Which cart has the greatest momentum?

Cart A has the greatest momentum.

Final answer:

Momentum is calculated by multiplying the mass of the object by its velocity. After doing these calculations for each cart, it becomes clear that Cart D has the greatest momentum.

The topic under consideration is the momentum of the carts, which in physics is defined as the product of the mass and velocity of an object. We calculate momentum using the formula m x v, where m represents mass and v represents velocity. To find out which cart has the greatest momentum, we simply need to multiply the mass of each cart (including the additional mass) by its respective velocity.

For Cart A, the mass remains 200 kg (as no additional mass is given). Therefore, the momentum of Cart A will be 200 kg x 4.8 m/s = 960 kgxm/s.

For Cart B, the total mass will be 200 kg (cart mass) + 20 kg (additional mass). So, the momentum of Cart B will be 220 kg x 4.0 m/s = 880 kgxm/s.

Similar calculations follow for Cart C and D, obtaining 1140 kg*m/s for Cart C and 1300 kgxm/s for Cart D. Therefore, Cart D has the greatest momentum.

← Why do clarinets produce lower frequencies compared to flutes How to calculate the speed of an object falling under gravity →