Question

Why do you fall in the forward direction when a moving bus brakes to a stop and fall back when it accelerates from rest?

Answer 1

Inertia

1. The law of inertia states that, Unless an external force acts on it, an object will remain in its current state of rest or motion.
2. The inertia of motion states that, Unless an external force operates on the body, it will give resistance to continue in uniform motion.

When the bus accelerates from rest:

1. When a bus abruptly starts moving, the passengers tend to slide backward due to inertia, as the passenger’s inertia tends to oppose the bus’s forward motion.
2. Hence, the passenger tends to fall back when the bus accelerates forward.

When you apply the brakes to a moving bus, you get inertia.

1. The bus comes to a halt as the driver applies brakes.
2. The passenger, on the other hand, makes every effort to maintain motion inertia. As a result, he is subjected to a forward push.