Three identical train cars, coupled together, are rolling east at 1.8 m/s . a fourth car traveling east at 4.5 m/s catches up with the three and couples to make a four-car train. a moment later, the train cars hit a fifth car that was at rest on the tracks, and it couples to make a five-car train. what is the speed of the five car train? answer in m/s.

Explanation:

consider the mass of each train car be m

m₁ = m₂ = m₃ = m

speed of the three identical train

u₁ = u₂ = u₃ = 1.8 m/s

m₄ = m             u₄ = 4.5 m/s

m₅ = m              u₅ = 0 (initial velocity )

final velocity

v₁ = v₂ = v₃ = v₄ = v₅ = v

using conservation of momentum

m₁u₁ + m₂u₂ + m₃u₃ + m₄u₄ + m₅u₅ = m₁v₁ + m₂v₂ + m₃v₃ + m₄v₄ + m₅v₅

m (1.8 + 1.8 + 1.8 +4.5) = 5 m v

the answer is the first electromagnet (a). this is because it has more coils around the ferromagnetic material. increasing the number of coils increases the surface area in which the metal interacts with the current in the coil. this enables more atoms in the metal to become aligned hence becoming more magnetized.