Question

write a hypothesis about the effect of increasing the total mass of the carts on the final velocity after an inelastic collision. use the \if... then... because...\ format and be sure to answer the lesson question: \how does changing mass affect colliding objects?\

Explanation:

In an in - elastic collision, momentum is conserved ($p = mv$). If the total mass of the carts increases while the initial momentum remains the same, according to the law of conservation of momentum, the final velocity will decrease.

Answer:

If the total mass of the carts in an in - elastic collision increases, then the final velocity after the collision will decrease because, according to the law of conservation of momentum ($p_{initial}=p_{final}$), with a constant initial momentum, an increase in mass requires a decrease in velocity to maintain the equality.