Force of a small object Vs a larger object.

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In a collision between two cars of the same size and mass, the forces exerted on each other are equal and opposite, according to Newton's third law. However, if one car is smaller and both are moving at the same speed, the smaller car will decelerate faster due to its lower mass, resulting in a greater force experienced by its occupants. The larger car, despite having more mass, does not exert a greater force on the smaller car during the collision. Energy released during the collision is related to the mass and speed of the vehicles, with the larger car having more kinetic energy due to its greater mass. Overall, while the forces are equal, the effects on the vehicles and their occupants differ based on their masses.
DreamChaser77
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Hallo!

I have this example for all of ya!

Lets say I had two cars speeding up both of the same size and mass, speed! If they collided

1) Will they release both energy and force?
2) If one car is small then the other will the larger one release a larger output of (energy or force?)

Thanks!

Dream,
 
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The force between the cars will be the same size (and with opposite direction) at all times. The smaller car will however decelerate faster than the larger car, because of f = m_{s}a_{s} = m_{l}a_{l} (subscripts s and l stand for small and large)

since m_l > m_s it must be that a_s > a_l

Since f = ma is valid for the occupants of the car as well, the force exerted on the occupants of the smaller car will be bigger since they will accelerate more, if their mass is the same as that of the occupantsof the larger car.
 
willem2 said:
The force between the cars will be the same size (and with opposite direction) at all times. The smaller car will however decelerate faster than the larger car, because of f = m_{s}a_{s} = m_{l}a_{l} (subscripts s and l stand for small and large)

since m_l > m_s it must be that a_s > a_l

Since f = ma is valid for the occupants of the car as well, the force exerted on the occupants of the smaller car will be bigger since they will accelerate more, if their mass is the same as that of the occupantsof the larger car.

Aha.. If they both were going at the same speed at the same way and smash each other head on the cars of the same size same speed will release both equal energy and force right?
If let's say car A and B again crashed each other head on same speed but car B is larger... The force of B is equaled to A?(Although B is larger I thought it should release larger force or kick in that crash)
 
In this example I think it's important to specify that the "smaller" car will not not necessarily decelerate faster if it's the same mass as the "larger" car. F=ma does not say anything about the size of he object.

The forces should always be the same on both cars since "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". The lighter car will decelerate faster though since its F=ma is smaller, and consequently its passengers will get a bigger "kick".
 
Lsos said:
In this example I think it's important to specify that the "smaller" car will not not necessarily decelerate faster if it's the same mass as the "larger" car. F=ma does not say anything about the size of he object.

The forces should always be the same on both cars since "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". The lighter car will decelerate faster though since its F=ma is smaller, and consequently its passengers will get a bigger "kick".

Ow ok, so the force is always the same? Its strage because like when I slam to same shaped objects of different masses the "larger" one always goes further and it looks as if it release more "power or force(not really sure which one)" from the collision.

Now when I think about it more and more I start to say maybe there is more energy released from the larger one because it has more mass"matter" in it with kinetic energy and the small one has less kinetic energy when smashed together heat is realsed significantly...
 
I do not have a good working knowledge of physics yet. I tried to piece this together but after researching this, I couldn’t figure out the correct laws of physics to combine to develop a formula to answer this question. Ex. 1 - A moving object impacts a static object at a constant velocity. Ex. 2 - A moving object impacts a static object at the same velocity but is accelerating at the moment of impact. Assuming the mass of the objects is the same and the velocity at the moment of impact...

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