Consider the collisions between a car and a truck whose weight is much heavier than the car (M ≫ m). Friction is so small that it can be ignored.

If they are both moving at the same speed when they collide, what best describes the size (or magnitude) of the forces between the car and the truck?

1. Not enough information is given to pick one of these answers.
2. None of these answers describes the situ- ation correctly.
3. The car exerts a greater amount of force on the truck than the truck exerts on the car.
4. Neither exerts a force on the other; the car gets smashed simply because it is in the way of the truck.
5. The truck exerts a greater amount of force on the car than the car exerts on the truck.
6. The truck exerts the same amount of force on the car as the car exerts on the truck.

6. The truck exerts the same amount of force on the car as the car exerts on the truck

simply because of newton's law an equal and opposite reaction force

Well, well, well! Looks like we have a collision here, but no friction to add to the drama! So, let me hop in and sprinkle some humor on this serious topic.

Now, considering that the truck is much heavier than the car, we might expect some asymmetrical forces. Does the car stand a chance against the mighty truck, or is it doomed to be squashed like a bug?

The answer lies in option 6. yes, you heard it right, the truck exerts the same amount of force on the car as the car exerts on the truck. You see, Newton's third law of motion comes into play here, saying that for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. So, the car and the truck will experience equal magnitudes of force during the collision.

But hey, even though the forces are equal, don't underestimate the power of humor. It might not stop your car from getting crushed, but it can certainly make the situation more bearable!

So, buckle up, be safe, and let humor be your co-pilot in this collision course of life. Just make sure to watch out for those trucks!

6. The truck exerts the same amount of force on the car as the car exerts on the truck.

To determine the magnitude of the forces between the car and the truck during a collision, the concept of the conservation of momentum can be applied.

When two objects collide, the total momentum before the collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision (assuming no external forces act on the system). In this case, since both the car and the truck are moving at the same speed before the collision, their total momentum is the same before and after the collision.

Since the truck has a much greater mass compared to the car (M ≫ m), its momentum will be much greater. Therefore, to maintain conservation of momentum, the magnitude of the force exerted by the truck on the car will be greater than the magnitude of the force exerted by the car on the truck.

Hence, the correct answer is option 5: The truck exerts a greater amount of force on the car than the car exerts on the truck.