When you're riding a city bus sometimes there are no seats left and you have to stand. Why are there vertical and horizontal metal hand bars on the bus? Use the concept of inertia and Newton's 1st law
The vertical and horizontal metal handbars inside a city bus serve an important purpose when you're standing. Their design and placement are based on the concept of inertia and Newton's First Law of Motion.
Newton's First Law, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and direction, unless acted upon by an external force. When you're standing inside a moving bus, your body wants to continue moving at the same speed and direction as the bus, due to its inertia.
However, sudden stops, starts, or lane changes can cause the bus to quickly change its velocity, which can disrupt your body's inertia and potentially make you lose your balance or fall. This is where the handbars come into play.
By holding onto the vertical or horizontal metal handbars, you provide an external force to counteract the sudden changes in the bus's velocity. When the bus accelerates or decelerates, you can grip onto these handbars to exert a force in the opposite direction, helping you maintain your balance and preventing you from falling.
The vertical handbars, usually located along the length of the bus, are particularly useful for providing support when the bus accelerates or decelerates. They allow you to lean back and redistribute your weight to counterbalance the bus's motion.
On the other hand, the horizontal handbars, typically found above the seats or along the ceiling, provide support when the bus takes sharp turns or makes sudden lane changes. By holding onto these bars, you can exert sideways force to counteract the centrifugal force pulling you to the side.
In summary, the purpose of the vertical and horizontal metal handbars on a city bus is to help you maintain your balance and stability while standing. By gripping these handbars, you can apply external forces to counteract the bus's changes in velocity, aligning with the concept of inertia and Newton's First Law of Motion.