Question

Calculate the force generated by a car that hits the wall at an

Answer 1

This is a defective question. It was WRITTEN by someone who is unclear on the concepts.  DON'T try and answer it.

It's trying to get us to use Newton's second law ... F = m • a.

But that only tells us how much force must act ON THE CAR in order to accelerate it. (45 kg) • (4 m/s^2) = 180 newtons.

This is NOT the force exerted BY the car when it hits something. THAT force depends on its speed WHEN it hits, AND how long it takes for the wreckage to actually come to rest, AND how hard or soft the wall is.

DON'T try to answer this question. Your answer will be wrong, you won't understand why, and the teacher you try to argue with probably won't either.

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More explanation:

Think about jumping off of a ladder in your back yard.  Several times.

Your mass is the same every time.  Your acceleration is the same every time . . . 9.8 m/s² down, the acceleration of Earth gravity, every time.

BUT ...

-- I'll bet you would rather land on wood than on concrete. The force of landing would be less.

-- I'll bet you would rather land on dirt than on wood. The force of landing would be less.

-- I'll bet you would rather land on grass than on dirt. The force of landing would be less.

-- I'll bet you would rather land on a pile of blankets than on dirt. The force of landing would be less.

-- I'll bet you would rather land on a trampoline than on a pile of blankets. The force of landing would be less.

-- I'll bet you would rather jump from a short ladder than from a tall one.  Your speed would be less when you landed, and the force of landing would be less.

==> Your mass is the SAME every time, and your acceleration is the SAME every time.  But the force when you hit is DIFFERENT every time.

The mass and acceleration of the car DON'T tell us the force of the hit when the car hits a wall.