Question

Why does a child feel more pain when she falls down on a hard cement floor, than when she falls on the soft, muddy ground in the garden?

Answer 1

The body of the child is brought to a sudden halt when she/he falls on a cement floor. The mud floor yields and the body travels some distance before it comes to rest, which takes some time. This means the force which brings the child to rest is less for the fall on a mud floor, as the change in momentum is brought about over a longer period.