Question

Consider two less-than-desirable options. In the first you are driving 30 mph and crash head-on into an identical car also going 30 mph. In the second option you are driving 30 mph and crash head-on into a stationary brick wall. In neither case does your car bounce off the thing it hits, and the collision time is the same in both cases. Which of these two situations would result in the greatest impact force? a. we cannot answer this question without more information. b. the force would be the same in both cases. c. hitting the brick wall d. hitting the other car

Answer 1

Answer:

B. The force would be the same in both cases.

Explanation:

According to Newton's 3rd law where impulse was equated to the momentum formula.

F × t = M × V

where,

Force = F

V = velocity

Since, Impulse is force multiplied by time, whereas the time of contact is the same for both, therefore the impulse is the same in magnitude for the two trucks.

Case 1: Hitting the other car

Case 2: Hitting the brick wall

In Case 1, both the cars are identical and have same velocity whereas in the Case 2, the wall is stationary.

The case of hitting the brick wall have the same impact force as hitting the other car, because they have the same change in momentum.

Therefore, The force would be the same in both cases.