Question

A school bus and a small Toyota Prius collide in a head-on collision

Which vehicle pushed with a greater force? Explain
Which vehicle has a greater mass?
Which vehicle has a greater acceleration after the moment of impact? Explain why

Answer 1

Hi there!

Part 1:

According to Newton's Third Law, every action has an EQUAL and OPPOSITE reaction.

For a collision, the objects involved exert an EQUAL and OPPOSITE impulse on each other, which means the forces exerted are equal as well.

Therefore, the school bus and Toyota Prius exert an EQUAL FORCE on each other.

Part 2:
The school bus has a greater mass.

Part 3:

Using Newton's Second Law:

`\Sigma F = ma`

Using this relationship, the smaller the mass, the larger the acceleration. Since the forces are EQUAL, the Toyota Prius will experience a larger acceleration because it has a smaller mass.