Which car is harder to stop and why?

Calculate the momentum of cars A and B, and then

answer the question

Car A:

Mass: 1,000 kilograms

Velocity: 40 meters/second

Car B:

Mass: 4,000 kilograms

Velocity: 10 meters/second

The momentum of bath cars is 40000 Ns which make the difficulty to stop each car in aspect of fprce is the same.

Explanation:

Momentum (P) = mass (m) * velocity (v)

For car A,

P = m * v = 1000 * 40 = 40000 Ns

For car B,

P = m * v = 4000 * 10 = 40000 Ns

Force (F) = Momentum change (ΔΡ) / time taken (t)

F = ΔΡ/t

When stopping the car the momentum changes from 40000 Ns to 0

So momentum change in both cars is the same. So to stop the two cars in a given time (t) you need the same force, which means you will feel same difficulty.