Answer:
The reckage after collision is motionless (E)
Explanation:
The first law of thermodynamics states that energy is neither created nor destroyed but is converted from one form to another.
The kind of collision described in the question above is known as a perfectly inelastic collision, and in this type of collision, the maximum kinetic energy is lost because the objects moving in opposite directions have a resultant momentum that is equal, but in opposite directions hence they cancel each other out.
The calculation is as follows:
m₁v₁ + m₂v₂
where:
m₁ = m₂ = 1000kg
v₁ = 20 m/s
v₂ = -20 m/s ( in the opposite vector direction)
∴ resultant momentum = (1000 × 20) + (1000 × -20)
= 20000 - 20000 = 0
∴ The reckage after collision is motionless
