Answer:
When a car comes to a sudden stop, Newton's three laws of motion can help explain the forces at play in this scenario:
1. Newton's First Law of Motion (Law of Inertia):
According to Newton's First Law, an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force. In the case of a car coming to a sudden stop, the passengers in the car continue to move forward due to their inertia. This is because the passengers are still in motion while the car slows down or comes to a stop. The force that acts on the passengers is the force of the car's deceleration or braking.
2. Newton's Second Law of Motion (Law of Acceleration):
Newton's Second Law states that the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the force applied to it and inversely proportional to its mass. When a car stops suddenly, the force of deceleration is applied to the passengers. The larger the force of deceleration, the greater the acceleration experienced by the passengers. Additionally, the mass of the passengers also affects their acceleration. Heavier passengers will experience a smaller acceleration compared to lighter passengers for the same force of deceleration.
3. Newton's Third Law of Motion (Law of Action-Reaction):
Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. In the case of a car coming to a sudden stop, the force of the car's deceleration (action) exerts a force on the passengers, pushing them forward. As a reaction to this force, the passengers exert an equal and opposite force on the car. This force is what causes the passengers to be thrown forward in their seats during the sudden stop.
In summary, when a car comes to a sudden stop, Newton's laws of motion explain the forces involved. The passengers' inertia causes them to continue moving forward, while the force of deceleration from the car's braking causes their acceleration. Newton's Third Law explains the equal and opposite reaction force that the passengers exert on the car.