Vehicle 2 Mass = 1,500 kg Velocity = 20 m/s
Calculate the amount of force that would act on Vehicle 2 if it crashes into a bus and it takes half a second for Vehicle 2 to come to a stop upon collision. a. Step 1: Calculate the acceleration of the vehicle as its velocity changes from 20 to 0 m/s in 0.01 seconds. b. Step 2: Apply Newton’s Second Law of Motion to determine the force exerted by the vehicle on the bus during the crash. c. Step 3: Apply Newton’s Third Law of Motion to determine the force exerted by the bus on the vehicle. d. Step 4: Calculate the acceleration of the bus given its mass is 2,000 kg. e. Step 5: After the collision, will the velocity be increasing, decreasing, or constant? Why?
a. Step 1:
Acceleration = (final velocity - initial velocity) / time
Acceleration = (0 m/s - 20 m/s) / 0.5 s
Acceleration = -40 m/s^2
b. Step 2:
Force = mass x acceleration
Force = 1,500 kg x (-40 m/s^2)
Force = -60,000 N
c. Step 3:
According to Newton's Third Law of Motion, the force exerted by the bus on the vehicle will be equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the force exerted by the vehicle on the bus. Therefore, the force exerted by the bus on the vehicle will also be 60,000 N but in the opposite direction.
d. Step 4:
Acceleration of the bus = Force / mass
Acceleration = 60,000 N / 2,000 kg
Acceleration = 30 m/s^2
e. Step 5:
After the collision, the velocity of the bus will be decreasing because it experienced a force in the opposite direction of its initial motion. The bus will be slowing down as a result of the collision.