Newton's Second Law and car acceleration

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the application of Newton's Second Law, specifically in the context of car acceleration and impact force. A key point established is that while the force exerted by a car can be calculated using F=ma, the force experienced by a person during a collision is determined by the change in momentum (delta-P) over the time interval (delta-t) of the impact. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding momentum in addition to acceleration when analyzing collisions.

PREREQUISITES
  • Newton's Second Law (F=ma)
  • Concept of momentum (delta-P)
  • Understanding of time intervals in physics (delta-t)
  • Basic principles of kinematics
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the relationship between force and momentum in collisions
  • Explore resources on impulse and its effect on force during impacts
  • Learn about the conservation of momentum in elastic and inelastic collisions
  • Review kinematic equations related to constant acceleration
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of motion and impact forces in real-world scenarios.

Annubes
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
I'm having a hard time understanding this.
If a car that has a constant acceleration hits me let's say at 10km/h then at 100km/h will it exert the same amount of force on me? F= ma mass and acceleration are constant. But this doesn't seem right, does it?

Do you guys know any good website or a book that has questions that will test my conceptual understanding of Newton's laws.
Thanks:-p
 
Physics news on Phys.org
If you're talking about hitting, you have to consider momentum, which does take into account the velocity of the car.
 
The force accelerating the car is not the same as the force you'd experience when it hit you. F=ma works for the car, but the force you feel is the change in your momentum delta-P, divided by the time it takes to change momentum, delta-t.

Consider the case of a car that isn't accelerating at all, just moving at constant speed. When it hits you, there's no accelerating force F=ma, but you'll still feel a force on impact.
 
ahh... ok. I guess I have to wait till we get to momentum to fully understand this. thanks
 

Similar threads

Newton's law problem: Pushing 2 stacked blocks on a horizontal table
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
Newton's second law (My turtle named Newton being accelerated)
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Two forces acting on an object given in vectors - SOLVED
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Rocket acceleration problem: confused about Newton's 2nd Law
  • · Replies 42 ·
2
Replies
42
Views
6K
Spring Problem Involving Variables and Constants Only
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Newton's Third Law and Car Crashes
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
Unbalanced force to find altitude of airplane
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Explanation for Newton II giving negative mass in my Physics lab results please
  • · Replies 44 ·
2
Replies
44
Views
3K
Having a hard time learning Newton's 2nd law
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Feynman's Lectures exercise about Newton's laws
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
2K