A small car meshes with a large truck in a head-on collision.Which of the following statements concerning the magnitude of the momentum change during the collision is correct? (There could be more than one correct choice. )
A)The truck experiences the greater magnitude momentum change.
B)The small car experiences the greater magnitude momentum change.
C)The small car and the truck experience the same magnitude momentum change.
D)The magnitude of the momentum change experienced by each one is inversely proportional to its mass.
E)The magnitude of the momentum change experienced by each one is directly proportional to its mass.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the law of conservation of momentum, the magnitude of momentum change is the same for both the truck and the small car during the collision. This is because the total momentum of the system (truck + car) before the collision must equal the total momentum of the system after the collision, assuming no external forces are acting on the system.

A Small Car Meshes with a Large Truck in a Head-On