Re: momentum transfer

[Doug Craigen <dcc@ESCAPE.CA>]

Richard Tarara wrote:
> To simplify the discussion (somewhat) let's change the comparison to a
> collision between two moving cars and one moving car and one parked car.
> Now certainly a collision with the parked car at speed v is less serious
> than a head-on with both cars travelling at v.  In Michael's analysis below,
> the assumption of equal times to come to rest is, I believe, the problem.
> In the head-on, t will be smaller (assuming the center of mass will not move
> once the cars make contact) than in the collision with the parked car (even
> if that car doesn't move).

In a collision with an identical parked car you don't come to rest, you
come to v/2


()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()

Doug Craigen
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