The approach to two-dimensional collisions is to choose a convenient coordinate system and break the motion into components along perpendicular axes. Momentum is conserved in both directions simultane...The approach to two-dimensional collisions is to choose a convenient coordinate system and break the motion into components along perpendicular axes. Momentum is conserved in both directions simultaneously and independently. The Pythagorean theorem gives the magnitude of the momentum vector using the x- and y-components, calculated using conservation of momentum in each direction.
As a practical matter, accident investigators usually work in the “opposite direction”; they measure the distance of skid marks on the road (which gives the stopping distance) and use the work-energy ...As a practical matter, accident investigators usually work in the “opposite direction”; they measure the distance of skid marks on the road (which gives the stopping distance) and use the work-energy theorem along with conservation of momentum to determine the speeds and directions of the cars prior to the collision.
The approach to two-dimensional collisions is to choose a convenient coordinate system and break the motion into components along perpendicular axes. Momentum is conserved in both directions simultane...The approach to two-dimensional collisions is to choose a convenient coordinate system and break the motion into components along perpendicular axes. Momentum is conserved in both directions simultaneously and independently. The Pythagorean theorem gives the magnitude of the momentum vector using the x- and y-components, calculated using conservation of momentum in each direction.
