Question

Explain why it takes much more effort to

stop a freight train compared with a car.
Include the terms force, mass and
acceleration in your description

Answer 1

To stop a freight train requires more effort than stopping a car due to the train's much greater mass and the physics principle that force is equal to mass times acceleration.

Step-by-step explanation:

To understand why it takes much more effort to stop a freight train compared to a car, we need to consider the concepts of force, mass, and acceleration. Newton's second law of motion states that the force needed to change the motion of an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by the acceleration (F = m*a). A freight train has a much greater mass than a car, so even if both were to decelerate at the same rate (that is, have the same acceleration in the opposite direction of motion for stopping), the force required to stop the train would be proportionally larger, based on its mass. Additionally, trains are designed to have relatively low rolling friction, which makes them energy-efficient, but also means they naturally require a longer distance and more time to stop since friction is a key component in halting motion.

Answer 2

Mass Kinetic Energy and Jules

Step-by-step explanation:

The train in question is big and heavy and a car is decently heavy but say a train moving at 55 mph can plow through a car and a car driving at 55mph driving at a train will be stopped dead in its tracks. This is because newtons laws of motion specifically an object in motion will stay in motion unless its opposed. The train also has a payload behind it meaning it hurts with force while a car doesn't have to much mass behind it. The train takes loner to stop for as it's acceleration as well as it's deceleration are very slow because its huge and takes a lot of force to stop it while a car is very centralized and compact when it comes to weight and its brakes are usually effective at stopping at 55 mph in about 2 to 6 seconds while a train might stay moving for a good 35 seconds. The force behind the train is immense for as even if the wheels don't spin at all the train will still move since the force behind it is great and a cars tires have a lot of grip and not a lot mass which plays into the force the car has so it can stop simply.