Momentum-an egg dropped on the ground vs. grass

[girl52]

Homework Statement

an egg dropped on the road breaks, while the egg that is dropped on grass doesn't break...why?

a. the change in momentum is greater
b. change in momentum is less
c. the time interval for stopping is greater
d. time interval for stopping is less

Homework Equations

there are no equations...

The Attempt at a Solution

im guessing, the time interval for stopping is greater cause the grass slows it down before it hits the ground?

 

[duoshikunli]

change in momentum is force, and force is mg for both situation. i think ur right.

 

[phever]

change in momentum - impulse. do you have the answer to this question ?

 

[girl52]

change in momentum - impulse. do you have the answer to this question ?

no...it's a take home test worth a lot of points so i want to be 100% sure i got it right

 

[tiny-tim]

welcome to pf!

hi girl52! welcome to pf!

im guessing …

nooo, don't guess …

eliminate a and b so that you can be sure …

why can't it be a or b ? ​

 

[gneill]

Homework Statement

an egg dropped on the road breaks, while the egg that is dropped on grass doesn't break...why?

a. the change in momentum is greater
b. change in momentum is less
c. the time interval for stopping is greater
d. time interval for stopping is less

What a terribly phrased question; Which particular egg are they expecting the answer to apply to? In other words, are they asking why the road egg broke, or why the grass egg didn't?

 

[madah12]

I think that they want to know why the other egg didn't brake mostly because it is more intuitive that the egg will brake than that it won't.

 

[gneill]

I think that they want to know why the other egg didn't brake mostly because it is more intuitive that the egg will brake than that it won't.

The point is, it should be absolutely clear which result is to be explained. This is physics, not psychics. Would *you* want to risk several points on a marker's interpretation of the question?