A robotics student is investigating an autonomous planetary test rover colliding with a soft silicone buffer at the end of a guide ramp.
During the collision, the rover and the buffer can be modeled as a closed system. What is meant by a 'closed system'?
How does Newton’s Third Law of motion apply to the collision between the rover and the buffer?
During the collision, the change in momentum of the rover is 240 kg m/s240\text{ kg m/s}240 kg m/s. The time taken for the collision is 0.48 s0.48\text{ s}0.48 s. Calculate the average force on the rover during the collision.
The buffer is covered with a soft silicone gel layer. Explain how this gel layer reduces the risk of damage to the rover during the collision.
Before the collision, the rover moved with an initial constant velocity and then accelerated at 1.5 m/s21.5\text{ m/s}^21.5 m/s2. While accelerating, the rover travelled a distance of 8.0 m8.0\text{ m}8.0 m. The final velocity of the rover just before impact was 7.0 m/s7.0\text{ m/s}7.0 m/s. Calculate the initial constant velocity of the rover.