Question

What would happen if an automobile moving at a high speed suddenly comes to a stop? How does this relate to Newton's laws and what factors could change the effect of the sudden stop on the passengers?

Answer 1

If an automobile moving at high speed suddenly comes to a stop, you would have a large change in momentum. This relates to Newton's second law in the form F = delta p / delta t, where p is momentum (mv).
You could lessen the effect of the sudden stop on the passengers by changing the average force exerted on them. If you look at Newton's second law again, you can see that given some delta p, you can decrease F by increasing delta t. What this means is that if you increase the length of time over which the change in momentum occurs, you can decrease the average force exerted to obtain that change in momentum. This is the reason why landing on a soft cushion is preferable to landing on a concrete surface. The cushion gives way to any object falling on it while still providing some resistance (you don't stop as abruptly), so while your change in momentum is the same in both cases, you have a larger delta t in the case of the cushion.