Three toy boats with the same mass were in a lake. Two boats were moving and one was stopped. Each boat got bumped by another boat, but not in the same direction. All the boats changed speed as a result of being bumped. Use the information in the diagram to answer.
Which toy boat(s) experienced the strongest force when it was bumped? How do you know?
a The blue toy boat experienced the strongest force because it takes a stronger force to slow something down than it takes to speed something up.
b The gray toy boat experienced the strongest force because it had the fastest ending speed.
c The orange and gray toy boats experienced the strongest forces because they both gained the same force as they sped up. The blue boat lost force, so it slowed down.
d All three toy boats experienced the same strength force because they changed speed by the same amount.
The correct answer is:
a The blue toy boat experienced the strongest force because it takes a stronger force to slow something down than it takes to speed something up.
Explanation: When an object is moving and is forced to slow down, it requires a greater force to overcome its momentum compared to an object that is speeding up. Hence, the blue toy boat, which slowed down when bumped, experienced the strongest force. This concept is based on Newton’s second law of motion, which relates force, mass, and acceleration.