Question

A motorcycle and a truck are both moving in the same direction in adjacent lanes on a highway. At a particular instant, the speed of motorcycle is four times as large as the speed of truck v. At that instant, motorcycle is accelerating forward while the truck is moving at a constant velocity. Which one of the following statements best describes which vehicle has a larger momentum at that instant?

• A. The motorcycle, because it is moving faster.
• B. Not enough information.
• C. The motorcycle, because it has an acceleration
• D. The truck, because it has a larger mass

Answer 1

The correct option is B

Not enough information.

Momentum is mass times velocity, and the mass is not given. However, the truck would have a larger momentum if the mass of the truck were more than four times that of the motorcycle. Acceleration does not play a part in determining the momentum at a particular instant.