A laboratory cart of mass 0.16 kg0.16\text{ kg}0.16 kg travels along a friction-free linear track. It is moving with a speed of 4.5 m s−14.5\text{ m s}^{-1}4.5 m s−1 when it collides with a movable buffer block.
The graph of the force acting on the cart against time during the collision is shown below:
Calculate the initial momentum p1p_1p1 of the cart just before the collision.
Use the graph to calculate the magnitude of the final momentum p2p_2p2 of the cart immediately after the collision.
The mass of the buffer block is 240 g240\text{ g}240 g. Assuming the buffer block is initially at rest and can slide freely on the track, calculate the final speed vvv of the buffer block immediately after the collision.
