To address the question of what best explains the results of the experiment, we need to analyze the conservation of momentum in the system.
1. Initial Momentums:
- For Cart 1: The initial speed is [tex]\( 2 \, \text{m/s} \)[/tex] to the right.
[tex]\[
\text{Initial Momentum of Cart 1} = m \cdot \text{initial speed} = 1.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot 2.0 \, \text{m/s} = 2.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}
\][/tex]
- For Cart 2: The initial speed is [tex]\( -2 \, \text{m/s} \)[/tex] to the left.
[tex]\[
\text{Initial Momentum of Cart 2} = m \cdot \text{initial speed} = 1.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot (-2.0) \, \text{m/s} = -2.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
\text{Total Initial Momentum} = 2.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s} + (-2.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}) = 0.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}
\][/tex]
2. Final Momentums:
- For Cart 1: The final speed is [tex]\( 3 \, \text{m/s} \)[/tex] to the right.
[tex]\[
\text{Final Momentum of Cart 1} = m \cdot \text{final speed} = 1.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot 3.0 \, \text{m/s} = 3.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}
\][/tex]
- For Cart 2: The final speed is [tex]\( -2 \, \text{m/s} \)[/tex] to the left.
[tex]\[
\text{Final Momentum of Cart 2} = m \cdot \text{final speed} = 1.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot (-2.0) \, \text{m/s} = -2.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
\text{Total Final Momentum} = 3.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s} + (-2.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}) = 1.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}
\][/tex]
3. Conservation of Momentum Analysis:
According to the principle of conservation of momentum, the total initial momentum should equal the total final momentum if no external forces act on the system.
[tex]\[
\text{Total Initial Momentum} = 0.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}
\][/tex]
[tex]\[
\text{Total Final Momentum} = 1.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s}
\][/tex]
Since [tex]\( 0.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s} \ne 1.0 \, \text{kg} \cdot \text{m/s} \)[/tex], momentum is not conserved in this experiment.
Therefore, the best explanation for the results of the experiment is:
- This experiment did not occur in a closed system.
This conclusion suggests that there must have been external forces acting on the system, as momentum was not conserved. The other provided explanations do not align with the fundamental principle of conservation of momentum observed here.
