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Question

Two trucks, one lightly loaded and one heavily loaded are moving at the same speed. Then, which truck is easier to stop?


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Solution

Momentum:

  1. Momentum can be expressed as the tendency of a body to continue its motion.
  2. In order to stop a body from motion, the momentum needs to be zero.
  3. The momentum of a body can be expressed as follows:

P=mv

Here, P is the momentum, m is the mass, and v is the velocity.

Hence, momentum is directly proportional to the mass, and the velocity of the body.

Step 1: Calculation of momentum for the lightly loaded truck

P1=m1v1

Here, P1 is the momentum, m1 is the mass, and v1 is the velocity for the lightly loaded truck.

Step 2: Calculation of momentum for the heavily loaded truck

P2=m2v2

Here, P2 is the momentum, m2 is the mass, and v2 is the velocity for the heavily loaded truck.

Since the speed of the trucks is the same (i.ev1=v2), the momentum of the trucks will depend upon the mass.

Since m2>m1

Therefore, P2>P1

Hence, The heavily loaded truck will have more momentum and will be difficult to stop.

Therefore, the lightly loaded truck will be easier to stop.


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