Question

Jenny and Betty are having a great time at Busch Gardens riding the Ubanga Banga bumper cars. Jenny, who is traveling southward in her bumper car, aims her car toward Betty, who is traveling northward in her bumper car. The cars collide and briefly come to a stop.
What is the direction of the acceleration of Jenny's car during the collision?

Southward or Northward?

Answer 1

Jenny is traveling southward.  In order to stop, she needs a northward acceleration.

A better way to say it:

Jenny is traveling southward in her bumper car, so the direction of her velocity is south.  In order to reduce her velocity to zero, a velocity of equal magnitude but directed north must be added to it.  Then the change in velocity is positive northward, and the change in velocity per unit time is acceleration.

Answer 2

Answer:

The direction of the acceleration of Jenny's car during the collision is Northward.

Explanation:

Newton's Third Law is also known as the Principle of action and reaction. This law indicates that “Every action has an equal reaction but in the opposite direction” This means that when a body exerts a force (action) on another, it responds with a force of equal magnitude although opposite direction (reaction). Then this law explains that forces always occur in the form of pairs: an action and a reaction.

This law applies in this case. Jenny, who travels south in her bumper car, points her car at Betty. When crashing and stopping, the force received and its acceleration went north due to the pair of action (in this case the trip south in the bumper car) and reaction (the car responds with a force of equal magnitude although opposite direction, the North).

Then, the direction of the acceleration of Jenny's car during the collision is Northward.