tomR
				
				
			 
			
	
	
	
		
	
	
			
		
		
			
			
				
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I have a question - if 2 forces are required to deform an object then why does a piece of space junk impacting an object in space cause deformation?  What is the second force?
				
			 
 
Because ##F = ma##.tomR said:What is the second force?
Typical space junk is moving roughly ten times the velocity of a high velocity rifle bullet. That's a high rate process. The whole impact happens so fast that only the material in the immediate vicinity of the impact is affected. Space junk impact is finished punching a hole (or crater) before the material away from the impact is affected by the impact force.Frabjous said:inertia becomes dominant for high rate processes.