Imagine you are standing in the aisle of a bus that is stopped at a red light. Suddenly, the light turns green, the driver hits the gas, and you feel yourself “thrown” backward toward the rear of the bus. Later, the bus is moving at a steady 50 km/h on a straight road, and you feel like you aren’t moving at all. Finally, the bus slams on the brakes, and you nearly fly forward into the dashboard.
The Challenge:
Pick one of Newton’s three laws to explain a specific part of this bus ride. In your comment, describe:
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The Law: State Newton’s 1st, 2nd, or 3rd Law.
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The Physics: Why did your body move (or feel like it moved) when the bus changed speed?
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The Formula (if applicable): If the bus has a mass of 12,000 kg and accelerates at 2 meter per second squared, how much Net Force did the engine have to produce?
Which law do you think is the most important for passenger safety and why?