Physics

Physics

Problem

Two identical cars, X and Y, each moving at the same speed on a level road, crash into identical rigid barriers and come to rest. Car X stops in 0.050 s0.050\,\text{s}, whereas car Y, which has a crumple zone, stops in 0.10 s0.10\,\text{s}. Which statement best describes the magnitudes of the average net forces exerted on the cars during their respective collisions? a) The average force on car X is twice that on car Y, because X stops in half the time. b) The average forces on the two cars are equal, because both cars undergo the same change in momentum. c) The average force on car X is half that on car Y, because X stops in half the time. d) The average force on car X is four times that on car Y, because kinetic energy depends on the square of the speed, and X gets rid of this energy in half the time.

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