Question

Dropping a glass on a cement floor is more likely to break the glass than if it is dropped from the same height on a grass lawn. Explain in terms of the impulse.

a) The cement floor applies a greater force on the glass due to its hardness.
b) The grass provides a longer duration of contact, reducing the force of impact.
c) The grass exerts a larger impulse on the glass, preventing it from breaking.
d) The cement floor reduces the impulse on the glass, causing it to break.

Answer 1

Dropping a glass on a cement floor is more likely to break the glass than if it is dropped on a grass lawn due to the impulse involved in the collision. The cement floor applies a greater force on the glass due to its hardness, causing a larger impulse and increasing the likelihood of breaking. In contrast, the grass provides a longer duration of contact, reducing the force of impact and decreasing the impulse exerted on the glass.

Step-by-step explanation:

Dropping a glass on a cement floor is more likely to break the glass than if it is dropped from the same height on a grass lawn due to the impulse involved in the collision.

When the glass is dropped on the cement floor, the floor applies a greater force on the glass due to its hardness, resulting in a larger impulse. The larger impulse causes a greater change in momentum in the glass, which is more likely to break it.

In contrast, when the glass is dropped on the grass lawn, the grass provides a longer duration of contact, reducing the force of impact. This longer duration of contact decreases the impulse exerted on the glass, making it less likely to break.