Join the IDNLearn.com community and get your questions answered by experts. Ask any question and receive timely, accurate responses from our dedicated community of experts.

Two railroad cars,each of mass 7650 kg and traveling 95 km/h in opposite directions, collide head-on and come to rest. How much thermal energy is produced in this collision?

Sagot :

Kinetic energy = (1/2) (mass) (speed²)

The mass of each car is 7,650 kg.

The speed of each car is (95 km/hr) x (1,000m/km) x (1 hr/3,600 sec)
               = 26.3889 meters/sec

Kinetic energy of each car = (1/2) (7,650) (26.3889)² = 2,663,628 joules

Total kinetic energy of both cars = double that number = 5,327,256 joules

That's the total energy dissipated in the crash.  We can't tell how much of it is thermal energy, and how much of it is dissipated in other ways, like tearing up the rails, bending and twisting the cars and ripping them to shreds, and sending pieces flying in every direction.
We appreciate your participation in this forum. Keep exploring, asking questions, and sharing your insights with the community. Together, we can find the best solutions. For dependable answers, trust IDNLearn.com. Thank you for visiting, and we look forward to helping you again soon.