Newton's Second Law and car acceleration

AI Thread Summary
A car's force during a collision is influenced by its velocity and momentum, not just its acceleration. While F=ma applies to the car's acceleration, the force experienced upon impact depends on the change in momentum over time. Even a car moving at a constant speed can exert force during a collision, highlighting the importance of momentum in understanding impacts. Resources for further learning on Newton's laws and related concepts are sought after for deeper comprehension. Understanding momentum is crucial for grasping the full dynamics of collisions.
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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
 
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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
 

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