Answer
The final speed of the two vehicles after the collision is $10.2~m/s$
Work Step by Step
By conservation of momentum, the final momentum of the system is equal to the initial momentum. We can find the final speed $v_f$ of the two vehicles after the collision:
$m_f~v_f = m_0~v_0$
$v_f = \frac{m_0~v_0}{m_f}$
$v_f = \frac{[(13.6~kN)/g](17.0~m/s)}{(13.6~kN)/g+(9.0~kN)/g}$
$v_f = \frac{(13.6~kN)(17.0~m/s)}{13.6~kN+9.0~kN}$
$v_f = 10.2~m/s$
The final speed of the two vehicles after the collision is $10.2~m/s$
