Answer:
The truck will undergo the largest change in momentum if it has a greater mass than the small car.
Step-by-step explanation:
The change in momentum of an object can be calculated using the equation:
Δp = m * Δv
where Δp represents the change in momentum, m represents the mass of the object, and Δv represents the change in velocity.
Since we are comparing the change in momentum of the car and the truck, we need to consider the masses of both vehicles.
Let's assume the mass of the car is represented by m_car, and the mass of the truck is represented by m_truck.
Since both vehicles collide head-on, the change in velocity (Δv) will be the difference between their initial velocities, considering that they are moving in opposite directions:
Δv = v_truck - v_car
Now, let's compare the change in momentum for the car and the truck:
For the car:
Δp_car = m_car * Δv
For the truck:
Δp_truck = m_truck * Δv
Comparing the magnitudes of the change in momentum, we can neglect the negative sign:
|Δp_car| = |m_car * Δv|
|Δp_truck| = |m_truck * Δv|
Since both Δv and Δp are positive values, we can conclude that the vehicle with the greater mass will undergo the largest change in its momentum.
Therefore, if the mass of the truck (m_truck) is greater than the mass of the car (m_car), then the truck will undergo the largest change in its momentum. Conversely, if the mass of the car is greater, then the car will undergo the largest change in its momentum.