Ryan is driving his car to band practice. His speed is 55 mph. Splat! A bug smashes against the windshield, and bug "guts" are e
verywhere. Gross! Which scenario is true? The windshield exerts a greater force on the bug than the bug exerts on the windshield.
The bug exerts a greater force on the windshield than the windshield exerts on the bug.
The force that the windshield exerts on the bug and the force that the bug exerts on the windshield are the same magnitude.
<h2>The force that the windshield exerts on the bug and the force that the bug exerts on the windshield are the same magnitude.</h2>
Explanation:
In this context, both forces are the same but in opposite directions, according to the third Newton's Law: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. One clear example is when we are sitting, our weight has an opposite reaction, which is equal, the normal force, totally opposite to the weight.
Therefore, in this case, the third answer is the correct one. Because the force exerted by the bug must be equal and opposite to the exerted by the windshield, if they weren't opposite, the bud wouldn't be smashed.
If you punch a wall, no wonder your fist will hurt. The wall adds as much force back into your arm as you did to the wall.
However much force you apply to something, an equal amount of force will come right back at you.
However, in cases like your one, I highly doubt that the bug was flying 55mph. Therefore, since the car has more mass and was traveling faster than the bug, the car has applied more force to the bug than the bug did to it.
