Although Newton's second law, F = ma, is valid for collisions, it is difficult to use it generally in this form for collisions because
A) the acceleration is too small.
B) the force F is not constant.
C) the acceleration occurs during a time interval too short to measure easily.
D) the acceleration is too small and the force F is not constant.
E) the force F is not constant and the acceleration occurs during a time interval too short to measure easily.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In collisions, the force F is usually not constant and the acceleration occurs over a very short time interval. This makes it difficult to measure the acceleration accurately, and hence it is difficult to use Newton's second law in its original form. Therefore, alternative methods and equations, such as impulse-momentum theorem and conservation of momentum, are used to analyze collisions.

Although Newton's Second Law, F = Ma, Is Valid for Collisions