An isolated rail car of mass M is moving along a straight, frictionless track at an initial speed v0. The car is passing under a bridge when a crate filled with N bowling balls, each of mass m, is dropped from the bridge into the bed of the rail car. The crate splits open and the bowling balls bounce around inside the rail car, but none of them fall out.Is the momentum of the rail car + bowling balls system conserved in this collision ?a)Yes, the momentum is completely conservedb)Only the momentum component in the vertical direction is conservedc)Only the momentum component parallel to the track is conservedd)No components are conservedCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

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An isolated rail car of mass M is moving along a straight, frictionless track at an initial speed v₀ . The car is passing under a bridge when a crate filled with N bowling balls, each of mass m, is dropped from the bridge into the bed of the rail car. The crate splits open and the bowling balls bounce around inside the rail car, but none of them fall out.

Is the momentum of the rail car + bowling balls system conserved in this collision ?

a)
Yes, the momentum is completely conserved
b)
Only the momentum component in the vertical direction is conserved
c)
Only the momentum component parallel to the track is conserved
d)
No components are conserved

Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

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An isolated rail car of mass M is moving along a straight, frictionles...

Conservation of Momentum

The principle of conservation of momentum states that the total momentum of a system remains constant if no external forces act on it. In other words, the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

The Rail Car and Bowling Balls System

In this scenario, we have a rail car moving at an initial speed v0 along a straight, frictionless track. A crate filled with N bowling balls, each of mass m, is dropped from a bridge into the rail car. The crate splits open and the bowling balls bounce around inside the rail car.

Conservation of Momentum in the Vertical Direction

When the bowling balls are dropped into the rail car, they exert an upward force on the rail car due to the impact. This force causes the rail car to experience an upward acceleration.

Since there is an external force acting on the rail car in the vertical direction, the momentum in the vertical direction is not conserved. The force exerted by the bowling balls on the rail car causes a change in its momentum in the vertical direction.

Conservation of Momentum Parallel to the Track

In the absence of any external forces parallel to the track, the momentum of the rail car and bowling balls system is conserved in the horizontal direction.

The horizontal momentum of the system is given by the mass of the rail car (M) multiplied by its velocity (v) plus the sum of the masses of the bowling balls (N * m) multiplied by their velocity (0, as they are dropped vertically into the rail car).

Initially, the rail car has a momentum of M * v0 in the horizontal direction. After the bowling balls are dropped into the rail car, the system still has a total momentum of M * v0 in the horizontal direction.

Therefore, the momentum component parallel to the track is conserved in this collision.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the momentum of the rail car and bowling balls system is not completely conserved. The momentum component in the vertical direction is not conserved due to the upward force exerted on the rail car by the falling bowling balls. However, the momentum component parallel to the track is conserved as there are no external forces acting on the system in that direction.

Answered by Mohit Rajpoot · View profile

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An isolated rail car of mass M is moving along a straight, frictionless track at an initial speed v0. The car is passing under a bridge when a crate filled with N bowling balls, each of mass m, is dropped from the bridge into the bed of the rail car. The crate splits open and the bowling balls bounce around inside the rail car, but none of them fall out.Is the momentum of the rail car + bowling balls system conserved in this collision ?a)Yes, the momentum is completely conservedb)Only the momentum component in the vertical direction is conservedc)Only the momentum component parallel to the track is conservedd)No components are conservedCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?

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An isolated rail car of mass M is moving along a straight, frictionless track at an initial speed v0. The car is passing under a bridge when a crate filled with N bowling balls, each of mass m, is dropped from the bridge into the bed of the rail car. The crate splits open and the bowling balls bounce around inside the rail car, but none of them fall out.Is the momentum of the rail car + bowling balls system conserved in this collision ?a)Yes, the momentum is completely conservedb)Only the momentum component in the vertical direction is conservedc)Only the momentum component parallel to the track is conservedd)No components are conservedCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? for Class 11 2024 is part of Class 11 preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Class 11 exam syllabus. Information about An isolated rail car of mass M is moving along a straight, frictionless track at an initial speed v0. The car is passing under a bridge when a crate filled with N bowling balls, each of mass m, is dropped from the bridge into the bed of the rail car. The crate splits open and the bowling balls bounce around inside the rail car, but none of them fall out.Is the momentum of the rail car + bowling balls system conserved in this collision ?a)Yes, the momentum is completely conservedb)Only the momentum component in the vertical direction is conservedc)Only the momentum component parallel to the track is conservedd)No components are conservedCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for Class 11 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for An isolated rail car of mass M is moving along a straight, frictionless track at an initial speed v0. The car is passing under a bridge when a crate filled with N bowling balls, each of mass m, is dropped from the bridge into the bed of the rail car. The crate splits open and the bowling balls bounce around inside the rail car, but none of them fall out.Is the momentum of the rail car + bowling balls system conserved in this collision ?a)Yes, the momentum is completely conservedb)Only the momentum component in the vertical direction is conservedc)Only the momentum component parallel to the track is conservedd)No components are conservedCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?.

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