Final answer:
Passengers lurch forward during sudden bus stops due to Newton's First Law of Motion aka the Law of Inertia. This law states that objects in motion tend to stay in motion unless an external force acts upon them.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a bus makes a sudden stop, the passengers lurch forward due to Newton's First Law, also known as the Law of Inertia. According to this law, an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. In this case, when the bus abruptly stops, the passengers, still being in motion, experience the sensation of being thrown forward.
An understanding of this phenomena can be beneficial in various applications such as the implementation of safety features in vehicles. For instance, airbags and seat belts are installed in cars to increase the time over which the force acts on the passengers during a collision. The increased time decreases the net force by spreading it over a larger period, mitigating injuries suffered during sudden stops.
A practical example demonstrating the effects of Newton's first law is seen when a runner pushes backward on the ground. This backwards push propels the runner forward, illustrating how forces in action can counteract inertia to change an object's state of motion.
Learn more about Newton's First Law of Motion