In which of the following scenarios can momentum not be conserved? (Assume a one
ID: 2305558 • Letter: I
Question
In which of the following scenarios can momentum not be conserved? (Assume a one- dimensional collision and no total energy gain.) Mass of Cart B> mass of Cart A. Explain. (a) Cart A traveling in the positive direction hits Cart B, initially at rest. After the collision Cart 3. (b) Cart A traveling in the positive direction hits Cart B, initially at rest. After the collision, (c) Cart B traveling in the positive direction hits Cart A, initially at rest. After the collision Cart (d) Cart B traveling in the positive direction hits Cart A, initially at rest. After the collision, A moves in the negative direction and Cart B moves in the positive direction. both carts move in the positive direction. B moves in the negative direction and Cart A moves in the positive direction. both carts move in the negative direction. None of the aboveExplanation / Answer
option d.
In this case, cart B is moving in the positive direction and cart A is at rest. So the net initial momentum is along the positive direction. So the net final momentum should be in the positive direction in order to conserve the linear momentum, but after the collision, both carts moving in the negative direction would have net final momentum in the negative direction.