The Impact of Momentum in Collisions

What happens to the momentum of a moving car when a small rock bounces off its windshield?

Does the car's momentum change when the rock experiences a large change in velocity?

Answer:

When a small rock bounces off the windshield of a moving car, the car's momentum changes.

The car experiences a change in momentum equal to that of the rock but in the opposite direction.

Collisions involving moving objects often lead to changes in momentum. In this scenario, the small rock hitting the car's windshield causes both the rock and the car to experience changes in velocity.

According to the law of conservation of momentum, the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant before and after a collision. This means that the momentum lost by the rock is gained by the car, resulting in an equal and opposite change in momentum.

Understanding momentum in collisions is crucial in analyzing the effects of external forces on objects in motion. In this case, the impact of the rock on the car highlights the transfer of momentum between two objects in motion.