Denise is riding her bike and falls to the ground. During the collision, she hits both grass and cement.

Question

Which best explains why Denise had fewer injuries to the area of her body that hit the grass?

The grass did not exert a reaction force.
The grass did not exert an action force.
The grass shortens the time of the collision.
The grass extends the time of the collision.

Answer 1

The best explanation for why Denise had fewer injuries to the area of her body that hit the grass is:

The grass extends the time of the collision.

When she falls onto the grass, it is softer and more forgiving than cement, which allows for a longer duration of the collision. This means that the force exerted on her body is spread out over a longer period of time, resulting in a lower peak force and thereby reducing the risk of injury compared to hitting a harder surface like cement, which would cause a more abrupt stop.