Final answer:
The correct answer is option 1) Mass, Velocity, and Time.These determine the momentum and impulse experienced during a collision, which influence the force felt by the objects involved.
Step-by-step explanation:
These are the factors that primarily determine the force of impact during a crash. The mass of an object combined with its velocity (or speed) determines its momentum, which is a significant factor in the severity of a collision. Furthermore, the time over which the collision occurs is related to the concept of impulse, which is the change in momentum that an object experiences. Together, mass, velocity, and time are critical in calculating the force experienced by the objects involved in the crash.
Mass and velocity are directly involved in determining the initial momentum of the moving object before impact. The impulse-momentum theorem tells us that the impulse experienced by an object is equal to the change in momentum. Impulse is calculated as the force applied multiplied by the time period over which the force acts. Therefore, the longer the duration of a collision, the more time there is to spread out the force, potentially reducing the severity of the impact.
It's also important to acknowledge that while mass, velocity, and time are key factors, other variables such as the rigidity of the colliding surfaces and the angle of impact can also influence the outcome of a collision.