A fast-moving massive car has a head-on collision with a slow-moving light car. Upon which is the impulse greater?
A) The massive car.
B) The light car.
C) Impulse is the same on both.
D) More information is needed to correctly answer this.
Force is equal and opposite (Newton #3)
time the same
so
magnitude of momentum change the same.
To determine which car experiences a greater impulse in a head-on collision, we need to understand the concept of impulse. Impulse is defined as the change in momentum of an object, which is calculated by multiplying the force applied to the object by the time interval over which the force is applied.
In a collision, the force exerted on each car is equal but opposite in direction due to Newton's third law of motion. Therefore, the magnitudes of the impulses experienced by each car will depend on their respective masses and velocities.
Given that the fast-moving car is massive and the slow-moving car is light, we can infer that the fast-moving car has a greater momentum because momentum is directly proportional to mass and velocity. In a head-on collision, the change in momentum is the same for both cars; however, since the fast-moving car has a greater initial momentum, the time interval over which the force is applied is shorter, resulting in a greater impulse.
Therefore, the correct answer is A) The massive car.