Question

1. scott and james work at a grocery store. after the grocery store closed, they were playing a game with a shopping cart and scotts skateboard. they crashed the skateboard and the shopping cart two times. the shopping cart had more mass in crash 2 than it did in crash 1. use the information in the diagram to answer.

in which crash did the skateboard experience a stronger force? why?
a the skateboard did not experience a force; only the shopping cart experienced a force in the crashes.
b crash 2; the force on the cart was stronger in this crash, so the force on the skateboard was also stronger.
c the diagram doesnt tell you anything about the force on the skateboard. it only gives information about the force on the shopping cart.
d the skateboard experienced the same force in both crashes. the shopping cart changed speed by the same amount in each crash, so the force on the skateboard was the same each time.

Explanation:

Step1: Recall Newton's third law

For every action, there is an equal - and - opposite reaction.

Step2: Analyze the crashes

In a crash between the skateboard and the shopping cart, the force exerted by the skateboard on the cart is equal in magnitude to the force exerted by the cart on the skateboard.

Step3: Consider mass difference

Since the cart had more mass in Crash 2, according to Newton's second law $F = ma$ (assuming similar acceleration scenarios in the crashes), a greater force was required to cause the interaction. So the force on the skateboard was also stronger in Crash 2.

Answer:

B. Crash 2; the force on the cart was stronger in this crash, so the force on the skateboard was also stronger.