Understanding Momentum in an Isolated System
What describes how the momentum of the system would change if cart A collided with cart B?
A. Cart A would gain momentum and cart B would gain momentum.
B. Cart A would lose momentum and cart B would gain momentum.
C. Cart A would gain momentum and cart B would lose momentum.
D. Cart A would lose momentum and cart B would lose momentum.
Answer:
The correct answer is option B: Cart A would lose momentum and cart B would gain momentum.
When cart A collides with cart B in an isolated system, the momentum of the system is conserved. In this scenario, cart A loses momentum, while cart B gains an equal amount of momentum.
The momentum of the system would be conserved in an isolated system. When cart A collides with cart B, the two carts exert equal but opposite forces on each other, resulting in a transfer of momentum from cart A to cart B.
Since both carts have the same mass, the magnitude of their momentum before the collision is the same. After the collision, cart A will lose momentum, and cart B will gain an equal amount of momentum.
Therefore, the correct explanation is that cart A loses momentum, and cart B gains momentum. This demonstrates the principle of conservation of momentum in isolated systems.