Sorry another physics question?

C

christine

New member
Ok so a passenger sitting in the rear of a bus claims that she was injured when the driver slammed on the brakes, causing a suitcase to come flying toward her from the front of the bus. if you were the judge in this care, what disposition would you make? Why?


Ok this is such a dumb question, but I think what is going on here is that the bus has a constant velocity, thus the suitcase remains at rest. There is no net force acting on the suitcase. Yet when the bus driver slams on his brakes, the suitcase flies forward due to a resultant force caused by a change in velocity? I am probably completely wrong...but that is the best I can come up with!
 
The suitcase would move forward (relative to the bus) when the brakes are applied. It can't move backward and hit her.

This is because the brakes are applied to the bus, not the suitcase. So if there is nothing restraining the suitcase, it will keep moving forward while the bus slows down. That is why it appears to fly forward. But it certainly would not fly backward.
 
The suitcase would move forward (relative to the bus) when the brakes are applied. It can't move backward and hit her.

This is because the brakes are applied to the bus, not the suitcase. So if there is nothing restraining the suitcase, it will keep moving forward while the bus slows down. That is why it appears to fly forward. But it certainly would not fly backward.
 
The suitcase would move forward (relative to the bus) when the brakes are applied. It can't move backward and hit her.

This is because the brakes are applied to the bus, not the suitcase. So if there is nothing restraining the suitcase, it will keep moving forward while the bus slows down. That is why it appears to fly forward. But it certainly would not fly backward.
 
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