Join the Most Relevant JEE Main 2025 Test Series & get 99+ percentile! Join Now
Search any question & find its solution
Question: Answered & Verified by Expert
A spring is compressed between two toy carts of mass $\mathrm{m}_{1}$ and $\mathrm{m}_{2}$. When the toy carts are released, the springs exert equal and opposite average forces for the same time on each toy cart. If $v_{1}$ and $\mathrm{v}_{2}$ are the velocities of the toy carts and there is no friction between the toy carts and the ground, then :
PhysicsCenter of Mass Momentum and CollisionBITSATBITSAT 2010
Options:
  • A $\mathrm{v}_{1} / \mathrm{v}_{2}=\mathrm{m}_{1} / \mathrm{m}_{2}$
  • B $\mathrm{v}_{1} / \mathrm{v}_{2}=\mathrm{m}_{2} / \mathrm{m}_{1}$
  • C $\mathrm{v}_{1} / \mathrm{v}_{2}=-\mathrm{m}_{2} / \mathrm{m}_{1}$
  • D $\mathrm{v}_{1} / \mathrm{v}_{2}=-\mathrm{m}_{1} / \mathrm{m}_{2}$
Solution:
2108 Upvotes Verified Answer
The correct answer is: $\mathrm{v}_{1} / \mathrm{v}_{2}=-\mathrm{m}_{2} / \mathrm{m}_{1}$
Applying law of conservation of linear momentum
$\mathrm{m}_{1} \mathrm{v}_{1}+\mathrm{m}_{2} \mathrm{v}_{2}=0$
$\frac{\mathrm{m}_{1}}{\mathrm{~m}_{2}}=-\frac{\mathrm{v}_{2}}{\mathrm{v}_{1}}$ or $\frac{\mathrm{v}_{1}}{\mathrm{v}_{2}}=-\frac{\mathrm{m}_{2}}{\mathrm{~m}_{1}}$

Looking for more such questions to practice?

Download the MARKS App - The ultimate prep app for IIT JEE & NEET with chapter-wise PYQs, revision notes, formula sheets, custom tests & much more.