Question

The following questions refer to a situation in which you are riding in a car that crashes into a solid wall. The car comes to a complete stop without bouncing back. The car has a mass of 1500 kg and has a speed of 30 m/s before the crash (this is about 65 mi/hr).  

Case I. You remain buckled into the seat and the seat remains attached to the center of the car.

Case II. You are not buckled into your seat and you fly through the windshield and hit the wall.

(a) Is the impulse the same in both cases?

(b) Are the forces acting on you the same?

(c) Using the words impulse, force, time, and momentum explain why one scenario is safer for you. Hint: Think about how the shape of the car changes when it hits the wall.

Answer 1