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Chapter 4: Problem 5

A truck crashes into a stalled car. A student trying to explain the physics of this event claims that no forces are involved; the car was just "in the way" so it got hit. Comment.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Forces are definitely involved when a truck crashes into a stalled car. The truck applies a force to the car, causing it to move, and the car applies an equal and opposite force on the truck. This is in accordance with Newton's third law of motion, thus the student's claim that no forces are involved is incorrect.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Newton's Third Law

Before jumping into the incident, it's important to understand Newton's third law of motion. This law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In simpler terms, any interaction between two objects involves a pair of forces acting on the two objects. The size of the forces on the first object equals the size of the force on the second object. The direction of the force on the first object is opposite to the direction of the force on the second object. Forces always come in pairs - equal and opposite action-reaction force pairs. This principle is necessary to understand the incident in question.
02

Applying Newton's Third Law to the Incident

In the scenario provided, the moving truck applies force to the stalled car when they collide. This force propels the car forward or to whichever direction the force had a component towards. In return, the car applies an equal and opposite force to the truck. This is why the truck might be seen to halt or change its speed or direction upon collision. This force might not be visually significant since the truck has much greater mass than the car and thus does not react as visibly to the force.
03

Debunk the Student's Claim

Therefore, the claim of no forces are involved is not valid. Even though it might seem like the car was just 'in the way', the collision could not occur without forces at play especially in the case when the stalled car starts moving after the hit. It's not just a case of the car being 'in the way', but forces from the truck and equal and opposite forces from the car are involved according to Newton's Third Law of Motion.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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