Lucia is playing with magnetic toy vehicles. She has two identical toy vehicles (purple and pink) that start on opposite sides of a center magnet that cannot move. She moves both vehicles one space closer to the center magnet. How did the potential energy of the two vehicles change? Did the potential energy of one vehicle change more than the other? Why do you think so?

(newtons first law)

conservation of momentum law states :

momentum before collision = momentum after collision

momentum p (kg-m/s)= mass * velocity

say moving car=1 000 kg, velocity = 10 m/s then p = 1 000*10= 10 000 kg-m/s

say still car = 2 000 kg, velocity = 0 m/s then p = 2 000* 0 = 0 kg-m/s

total momentum prior to collision = 10 000 + 0 = 10 000 kg-m/s

momentum after collision = 10 000 kg-m/s

mass now = 1 000 kg+2 000 kg = 3 000 kg

10 000 = 3 000 kg* velocity m/s

10 000/3 000 = velocity

3.33 m/s = velocity after collision

an impulse is a force applied over time , momentum is exclusive of external forces and a perfect collision is implied