Question

a football helmet is padded on the inside to decrease the amount of force that is exerted on a players head during a collision. the reason that padding is able to reduce the amount of force is because

• the padding acts like a spring and reflects some of the force back.
• the padding increases the amount of time it takes for the players head to slow down.
• the padding distributes the force over a wider area of contact.
• the padding absorbs the force of the impact before it reaches the players head.

Explanation:

Step1: Relate force and momentum

The average impact force is related to the change in momentum by the impulse-momentum theorem:

$$F = \frac{\Delta p}{\Delta t}$$

Step2: Analyze the effect of padding

The padding compresses during a collision, which increases the duration of the impact \(\Delta t\).

Step3: Determine the force reduction

For a constant change in momentum \(\Delta p\), increasing the time interval \(\Delta t\) decreases the average force \(F\) exerted on the head.

Answer:

B. The padding increases the amount of time it takes for the player's head to slow down.