Question
If you drop a raw egg on the ground, it will break. If you drop it on a saggy sheet, it does not. Explain in terms of momentum and/or impulse.
Answers
Damon
force is change of momentum / time to change it
if the target is soft, it takes longer to change the momentum
so the force is less
or
work done = change in kinetic energy = force times distance
to get the - (1/2) m v^2 needed, we can use a big force over a short distance or a small force over a great distance. The soft target provides a greater stopping distance so less force.
(LOL, they did not ask for an energy argument though)
if the target is soft, it takes longer to change the momentum
so the force is less
or
work done = change in kinetic energy = force times distance
to get the - (1/2) m v^2 needed, we can use a big force over a short distance or a small force over a great distance. The soft target provides a greater stopping distance so less force.
(LOL, they did not ask for an energy argument though)