A train travels at 100mph hits a fly traveling in opposite direction. The fly stops why didn't the train?

Question

The fly stopped to change direction for a micro second, so the train must have also stopped.

Answer 1

no
train bigger
train have bigger engine
train not bothered by small force from tiny bug
no

Answer 2

If you examine the fly after the collision, you will find it did not stop to change direction for a microsecond. Different parts of the fly changed direction at slightly different times, each part pretty much instantaneously, over the period of collision - about 30 nanoseconds (assuming a 5mm long fly). Result - squashed fly.

The part of the train which the fly hit will have deformed slightly but, being steel or toughened glass) it will spring back into shape. Conservation of momentum means that the train will also have slowed marginally - by about 1 part in 100 million.

Answer 3

No, because of the fact the fly hits the practice it comes under opposite acceleration to it somewhat is action and confident it could have a velocity of 0 at a definite time, inspite of the undeniable fact that it won't end the practice because of the fact the practice isn't experiencing substitute in velocity the fly is and the practice will proceed shifting with it somewhat is consistent velocity. inspite of the undeniable fact that remember that F = ma . So the greater suitable the mass the greater suitable the rigidity. If this fly substitute into yet another merchandise with a greater robust mass which could conquer the rigidity of the practice then it would end the practice.

Answer 4

No because the force applied to the train has to be of the same or greater than the force propelling it. The train weighs perhaps 1000 + tons the fly weighs micrograms therefore the inertia of the fly doesn't have the mass or the force equal to repel the train hence a splattered fly and no effect on trains momentum.

Answer 5

For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action. The reaction is directly based on the surface area and weight. The fly can only dispurse its weight in any action and the train can only disperse it weight in the action. Since the fly weighs conciderably less the trains action is more, however there was a force exerted when the fly hit the train. Poor fly he never saw it coming. LOL

Answer 6

the train did stop at the station
and the fly stopped being a fly

Answer 7

What?!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the train has more kinetic energy, so therefore requires a greater oppositional force to stop it. The fly has less kinetic energy, so therefore it requires a lesser oppositional force to stop it.

Answer 8

Both objects have a vastly different mass in relation to each other, so it stands to reason that the fly comes out worse in any such impact. My car has never been splatted across a flies windscreen now has it!

Answer 9

it's relativity mate, it's not actually movement your talking about it's the view we would see. As in if a man in on a train and drops a ball to him it drops straight down, but a man looking at the man from out side the train See's the ball fall down at a curve due to the downward motion of the ball and the forward movement of the train. neither man are wrong in what they see, it's relativity. as in all things are relative to places and points in time.

Answer 10

Actually freddie got it about right, it's all down to inertia, plain and simple. The train has tons of it (literally) and the fly has bugger all.
But I did like top cat's answer, it made me smile, she's my type of girl. Thinking about it that's the sort of answer that gets full marks in psychology exams!!

Answer 11

if anything changes to opposite directions it needs to stop however the train does not change direction so it does not stop moving