Question

17. 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,
holl of mass 10 kg transfer​

Answer 1

Answer:

Rahul’s statement is completely right.

Explanation:

As per the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum before the collision between the

insect and the car is equal to the total momentum after the collision. Therefore, the change in the

momentum of the insect is much greater than the change in momentum of the car (since force is

proportional to mass).

Akhtar’s assumption is partially right. Since the mass of the car is very high, the force exerted on the

insect during the collision is also very high

Kiran’s statement is false. The change in momentum of the insect and the motorcar is equal by

conservation of momentum. The velocity of insect changes accordingly due to its mass as it is very

small compared to the motorcar. Similarly, the velocity of motorcar is very insignificant because its

mass is very large compared to the insect.

Rahul’s statement is completely right. As per the third law of motion, the force exerted by the insect on

the car is equal and opposite to the force exerted by the car on the insect. However, Rahul’s suggestion

that the change in the momentum is the same contradicts the law of conservation of momentum