Randall D. Knight — Force and Motion: Problem 57

If a car stops suddenly, you feel “thrown forward.” We’d like to understand what happens to the passengers as a car stops. Imagine yourself sitting on a very slippery bench inside a car. This bench has no friction, no seat back, and there’s nothing for you to hold onto. a. Draw a picture and identify all of the forces acting on you as the car travels at a perfectly steady speed on level ground. b. Draw your free-body diagram. Is there a net force on you? If so, in which direction? c. Repeat parts a and b with the car slowing down. d. Describe what happens to you as the car slows down. e. Use Newton’s laws to explain why you seem to be “thrown forward” as the car stops. Is there really a force pushing you forward? f. Suppose now that the bench is not slippery. As the car slows down, you stay on the bench and don’t slide off. What force is responsible for your deceleration? In which direction does this force point? Include a free-body diagram as part of your answer.