Two carts: rectilinear collision and Newton's second law, part II

Post date: Jan 31, 2014 9:13:34 AM

Carts A and B collide on a level track. Some notes regarding the change in momentum of cart B is found in Two carts: rectilinear collision and Newton's second law, part I. 

Let us consider cart A. By Newton's third law, the net force of cart A on B is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the net force of cart B on A.

The possible variation of the force vector in time (force-versus-time graph) is:

The area under the curve has a name, the ``impulse delivered by the force". It is equal to the momentum change of cart A. These impulse and momentum change are directed to the negative direction.

The change in momentum of cart A is equal and opposite to the change in momentum of cart B.