Try it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A trolley moving east at meets a trolley moving west at . They collide and stick together.
In a collision with no outside force, momentum is conserved: . In an elastic collision kinetic energy is conserved too. Head-on and elastic, with the target at rest: , .
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Plan. Momentum with signs, then the energies.
Step 1. Momentum. .
Step 2. Velocity. , east.
Step 3. Energy. Before: . After: . Lost: .
Answer: (a) east. (b) .
Check. The momenta nearly cancel, so nearly all the energy is lost. That makes sense.
Watch out. Forgetting the minus sign gives , a crash that speeds things up.
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