A train car has a mass of 17500 kg and is travelling at 10 m/s to the right on a horizontal track. At the same time, another train car with a mass of 12500 kg is travelling on the same track at 6 m/s in the opposite direction. The coefficient of kinetic friction between the train car wheels and the track is µ??k = 0.1.
a) If the cars meet and join together, determine the speed of both cars just after joining.
b) Determine the change in kinetic energy before and after the joining of the train cars.
c) The combined train car mass eventually comes to rest. What is the stopping distance?