Question

A water tank filled up to half of its volume is moving with uniform speed. On sudden application of the break, the water in the tank will:

a. Move forward
b. Come to rest
c. Unaffected
d. Move backward

Answer 1

The water in a moving water tank will move forward when sudden brakes are applied, due to the inertia described by Newton's first law of motion.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the water tank in motion applies sudden brakes, the water inside will move forward due to Newton's first law of motion, often known as the law of inertia. This law states that an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. When the tank stops abruptly, the water inside, which was moving at the same velocity as the tank, will continue to move forward because of inertia until the forces from the tank walls resisting the water's motion stop it.

This phenomenon is similar to what passengers experience in a car when it brakes suddenly; they are pushed forward against their seat belts. This is also why securing loads in moving vehicles is important to prevent them from tumbling forward when coming to a sudden halt.