Question

A student in the front of a school bus tosses a ball to another student in the back of the bus while the bus is moving forward at constant velocity. The speed of the ball as seen by a stationary observer in the street:_________

a. is less than that observed inside the bus.
b. is the same as that observed inside the bus
c. may be either greater or smaller than that observed inside the bus.
d. may be either greater, smaller or equal than that observed inside the bus.
e. is greator than that observed inside the bus.

Answer 1

d. may be either greater, smaller, or equal to that observed inside the bus.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The bus is moving at a constant speed. The ball tossed and received by the ball is inside the bus at a speed equal to the speed of the ball. Therefore the speed of the bus becomes zero with respect to the observer inside the bus.
• Now the observer inside the bus noticed the ball from the inside of the bus, so he threw the ball back and forth from the ball with the speed v relative to the observer.
• Now the observer outside the bus could see the bus moving at speed relative to its reference point and also throwing the ball from front to back. The speed of the ball to the observer outside the bus The speed of the bus to the observer outside the bus is minus the speed of the ball to the observer inside the bus.
• Therefore, the ball speed = (u-v) relative to the observer outside the bus.