Ok, well I'm gonna ask this question. If I had to guess, I would say the momentum is the same. But I'm not really sure. Can anyone help?.....
"A high-speed bus and an innocent bug have a head-on collision. The sudden change of momentum for the bug spatters it all over the windshield. Is the change in momentum of the bus greater, less, or the same as the change in momentum of the unfortunate bug?"
2006-09-02 12:49:58 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
This is a conservative system, no outside forces acting in the direction of the momentum vector, therefore momentum is conserved (meaning the total change in momentum is zero). The changes (bug and bus) in momentum are therefore equal and opposite (momentum is a vector so you need a direction).
--- Let's assume the bus mass is 1,000,000 times that of the bug, however, we have a super bug that is traveling 1,000,000 times faster than the bus. Therefore both have the same momentum but in opposite directions and let's assume at impact the bug remains attached to the bus. How fast is the bus/bug going after impact? == Answer; both are stopped. -- this example is to show that mass of the bug really doesn't matter momentum is conserved.
2006-09-02 13:05:34 · answer #1 · answered by ic3d2 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Momentum = mass x velocity
Because of the law of conservation of momentum the sum of the momentums before = sum of the momentums after.
This is an example of an inelastic collision because at the end the two bodies stick together so the momentum after of the two bodies is the same.
But beforehand the bus has a much greater momentum than the bug and its momentum is changed very little whereas the bug is now travelling very, very quickly meaning it has a lot more momentum than before.
This means the momentum of the bus changes less than the momentum of the bug.
I think so any way...
2006-09-02 14:28:19 · answer #2 · answered by Jay 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The change is equal and opposite. Momentum is mass times velocity. Individual particles each have their own momentum. Particles that have a collision can be considered a system. The principle of Conservation of Momemtum says that if there are no outside forces, the momentum of the system before and after the collision will be the same.
The bus and the bug are a system and the total momentum of the system doesn't change when the collision happens. Notice that after the collision, the bus and the bug have the same velocity, Vf. Call the bus particle 1 and the bug particle 2.
----Before------------After-----
m1*v1 + m2*v2 = m1*Vf + m2*Vf
Is Vf equal to v1? No, you know that the velocity of the bug changed drastically. So the 2nd term on the After side of the equation is different from the 2nd term on the Before side. So if the sides are to be equal, the 1st term has to have changed too. And the change in one term has to be equal (but opposite in polarity) of the change in the other for equality to still hold. The effect is very small percentage-wise and shortlived - the engine of the bus will soon increase the velocity to its previous value
2006-09-02 14:00:43 · answer #3 · answered by sojsail 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If we compare the bus's mass to the poor, unfortunate bug, the change in momentum of the bus is negligible - for all practical purposes, nonexistent.
The change of momentum for the bug, however, is a 100% loss (when he hit the windshield) to an opposite value when he reverses direction!
The momentum change would be the same if both objects were traveling at the same speed and were the same mass (like two busses hitting head on.)
In any event, the bug deserved better than that.
2006-09-02 13:06:33 · answer #4 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Unfortunately for the bug, the bus didn't even feel him or her. I really don't think the degree of momentum changed at all. Now put a tree in the path of that high-speed bus and you'll see momentum change!!
2006-09-02 12:57:43 · answer #5 · answered by cintumas 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Earth science is probably one of the most easy-going of the natural science classes. It's mostly concepts and terms to remember. There's not a whole lot of math and the labs are not terribly difficult like in Chemistry or anything like that. Then again it really depends on what you consider to be easy. If you're better at math, maybe physics would be easier. By the way, biology of human sexuality is not about the interesting aspects of sex. It most likely about how a fetus develops, how embryos are formed, etc. It's not a semester of watching porn like you probably think it is. lol Also, getting an AA does certainly not entail "chilling out". The gen-ed classes in an associates program are just as difficult as if you were to take them at a four year university (many community college professors are the same ones who also teach at nearby four year universities). There will be good easy times and hard times, just like at any college level.
2016-03-27 04:48:48 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the momentum equation for this situation is m1v1 + m2v2 =(m+m)v therefore, the momentum of the bus is affected much less because it's mass is much larger than that of the bug.
2006-09-02 13:13:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The bug is too small to have any impact on the momentum of the bus!
2006-09-02 12:56:32 · answer #8 · answered by WitchTwo 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm going to go with "equal in magnitude but opposite in direction."
But, I am just guessing. Really, check your textbook for conservation of momentum in inelastic collisions. Good luck.
2006-09-02 13:10:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the force the bug applies to the bus is equal to the force the bus applies to the bug. The bus can handle it better. Suppose that 2 buses collide. they are equal weight & equal speed...when they collide, they cancel each other out & come to a stop.
2006-09-02 12:57:30 · answer #10 · answered by Ken J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋