Question

Jenny and Betty are having a great time at Busch Gardens riding the Ubanga Banga bumper cars. Jenny, who is traveling southward in her bumper car, aims her car toward Betty, who is traveling northward in her bumper car. The cars collide and briefly come to a stop.

What is the direction of the force exerted on Jenny's car during the collision?

Answer 1

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Answer 2

If she is traveling southward and collides with Betty, the force on her car is northward, as evidenced by the fact that she is momentarily brought to a stop

Answer 3

the force that is exerted on jenny's car is southward, if you asked about the force that jenny's car exerts then the answer would be southward because that is where is traveling thus that is the direction of her force. If both of them stopped at the same time then it is an inelastic collision which can mean that their forces canceled each other. (well I'm not a physics major though but that is how I understood it in my mechanics course)

Answer 4

yikes I got it wrong: The force that is actually exerted on Jenny's car is northward. heheheh but all the other explanation is actually right.

Answer 5

You have no idea if this is an inelastic collision. It depends on whether or not kinetic energy is conserved, and no information is given to allow you to judge. The fact that they stopped momentarily has no bearing on the situation except to tell you that the forces involved in the collision resulted in an acceleration of Jenny's car northward