A car having a total mass of 2250 kg and traveling at 72.0 km/h smashes into a tree. The car is stopped in 0.250 s. The average force acting on the car during the collision is

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The average force can be calculated using the formula F = Δp/Δt, where Δp is the change in momentum. The initial momentum is (2250 kg)(72 km/h converted to m/s = 20 m/s) = 45000 kg·m/s. The final momentum is 0, so Δp = 45000 kg·m/s. Thus, F = 45000 kg·m/s / 0.250 s = 1.80 x 10^5 N.

A Car Having a Total Mass of 2250 Kg and Traveling