Akhtar, Kiran, and Rahul were riding in a motorcar that was moving with a high velocity on an expressway when an insect hit the windshield and got stuck on the windscreen. Akhtar and Kiran started pondering over the situation. Kiran suggested that the insect suffered a greater change in momentum as compared to the change in momentum of the motorcar (because the change in the velocity of the insect was much more than that of the motorcar). Akhtar said that since the motorcar was moving with a larger velocity, it exerted a larger force on the insect. And as a result, the insect died. Rahul while putting an entirely new explanation said that both the motorcar and the insect experienced the same force and a change in their momentum. Comment on these suggestions.
Akhtar, Kiran, and Rahul were riding in a motorcar that was moving with a high velocity on an expressway when an insect hit the windshield and got stuck on the windscreen. Akhtar and Kiran started pondering over the situation. Kiran suggested that the insect suffered a greater change in momentum as compared to the change in momentum of the motorcar (because the change in the velocity of the insect was much more than that of the motorcar). Akhtar said that since the motorcar was moving with a larger velocity, it exerted a larger force on the insect. And as a result, the insect died. Rahul while putting an entirely new explanation said that both the motorcar and the insect experienced the same force and a change in their momentum. Comment on these suggestions.
Determine the correct statement:
Kiran's Statement: The momentum of insect is more than momentum of the motorcar
- Consider this as a case of collision, where an insect moving with some momentum collides with the momentum of the car.
- As per the conservation of linear momentum, the total momentum of two or more bodies acting upon each other remains constant unless and until an external force is applied to it.
- When the insect collides with the car it gets stuck and moves as one single body and there is no external force applied to them.
- So, there will be no change in momentum.
- Hence, Kiran's statement is wrong.
Akhtar's Statement: The car applied more force on the insect.
- As per Newton's Third Law, Every action has an equal and opposite reaction
- So we can say that the same amount of force has been applied to both the motorcar and the insect.
- Hence, Akhtar's statement is wrong.
Rahul's statement: Both motorcar and the insect experienced the same force and a change in their momentum
- As per the conservation of momentum, the momentum before the collision is equal to the momentum after the collison.
- And as per the Third Law, force applied by the insect on the car is equal to force applied by the car on the insect.
- So, Rahul's statement is correct.
Hence, Rahul's statement is correct. and Kiran's and Akhtar's statement is false.
Determine the correct statement:
Kiran's Statement: The momentum of insect is more than momentum of the motorcar
- Consider this as a case of collision, where an insect moving with some momentum collides with the momentum of the car.
- As per the conservation of linear momentum, the total momentum of two or more bodies acting upon each other remains constant unless and until an external force is applied to it.
- When the insect collides with the car it gets stuck and moves as one single body and there is no external force applied to them.
- So, there will be no change in momentum.
- Hence, Kiran's statement is wrong.
Akhtar's Statement: The car applied more force on the insect.
- As per Newton's Third Law, Every action has an equal and opposite reaction
- So we can say that the same amount of force has been applied to both the motorcar and the insect.
- Hence, Akhtar's statement is wrong.
Rahul's statement: Both motorcar and the insect experienced the same force and a change in their momentum
- As per the conservation of momentum, the momentum before the collision is equal to the momentum after the collison.
- And as per the Third Law, force applied by the insect on the car is equal to force applied by the car on the insect.
- So, Rahul's statement is correct.
Hence, Rahul's statement is correct. and Kiran's and Akhtar's statement is false.
