A small rock bounces off the windshield of a moving car and experiences a large change in velocity. How does the car’s momentum change?(1 point)

Responses

It has a change in momentum greater than that of the rock, in the opposite direction.
It has a change in momentum greater than that of the rock, in the opposite direction.

It does not change.
It does not change.

It has a change in momentum equal to that of the rock, in the opposite direction.
It has a change in momentum equal to that of the rock, in the opposite direction.

1 answer

The correct response is:

It has a change in momentum equal to that of the rock, in the opposite direction.

This is based on the principle of conservation of momentum, which states that in a closed system, the total momentum before an interaction must equal the total momentum after that interaction. When the rock bounces off the windshield, the momentum lost by the rock is equal to the momentum gained by the car, but in the opposite direction.