Momentum and conservation of momentum

[ketsalex]

A car with mass M1,with a box upon it of mass M2 moves with constant speed v.(there is no friction).If the box is shot vertically with speed v1 relative to the car then the final speed of the car will remain orizontial?or it will be floating downwards in relation to an observer that is at rest?

 

[sophiecentaur]

Without suspension it would be the car plus the Earth which move 'downwards' with a vanishingly small vertical velocity.
With suspension, the vertical speed of the car would be, initually, according to the momentum conservation formula,
m1 v1 = m2v2
until the springs slowed it down etc..

 

[astrokreng]

The concept of momentum and conservation of momentum is crucial in understanding the behavior of objects in motion. In this scenario, we have a car with a mass of M1 and a box on top of it with a mass of M2. The car is moving at a constant speed v with no friction. If the box is shot vertically with a speed v1 relative to the car, what will happen to the car's final speed?

According to the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum of a system remains constant if there are no external forces acting on it. In this case, the system consists of the car and the box, and since there is no friction, there are no external forces acting on the system. Therefore, the total momentum of the system will remain constant.

When the box is shot vertically, it gains a momentum in the upward direction. This means that the car will experience an equal and opposite momentum in the downward direction to maintain the total momentum of the system. As a result, the car's final speed will remain horizontal, and it will not have any downward motion.

However, from the perspective of an observer at rest, it may appear that the car is floating downwards due to the relative motion of the box. But in reality, the car's motion is still horizontal, and it is not experiencing any downward force.

In conclusion, the final speed of the car will remain horizontal, and there will be no downward motion in relation to an observer at rest. This is because of the principle of conservation of momentum, which states that the total momentum of a system remains constant in the absence of external forces.