Answer:
6 m/s is the missing final velocity
Explanation:
From the data table we extract that there were two objects (X and Y) that underwent an inelastic collision, moving together after the collision as a new object with mass equal the addition of the two original masses, and a new velocity which is the unknown in the problem).
Object X had a mass of 300 kg, while object Y had a mass of 100 kg.
Object's X initial velocity was positive (let's imagine it on a horizontal axis pointing to the right) of 10 m/s. Object Y had a negative velocity (imagine it as pointing to the left on the horizontal axis) of -6 m/s.
We can solve for the unknown, using conservation of momentum in the collision: Initial total momentum = Final total momentum (where momentum is defined as the product of the mass of the object times its velocity.
In numbers, and calling [tex]P_{xi}[/tex] the initial momentum of object X and [tex]P_{yi}[/tex] the initial momentum of object Y, we can derive the total initial momentum of the system: [tex]P_{total}_i=P_{xi}+P_{yi}= 300*10 \frac{kg*m}{s} -100*6\frac{kg*m}{s} =\\=(3000-600 )\frac{kg*m}{s} =2400 \frac{kg*m}{s}[/tex]
Since in the collision there is conservation of the total momentum, this initial quantity should equal the quantity for the final mometum of the stack together system (that has a total mass of 400 kg):
Final momentum of the system: [tex]M * v_f=400kg * v_f[/tex]
We then set the equality of the momenta (total initial equals final) and proceed to solve the equation for the unknown(final velocity of the system):
[tex]2400 \frac{kg*m}{s} =400kg*v_f\\\frac{2400}{400} \frac{m}{s} =v_f\\v_f=6 \frac{m}{s}[/tex]
