Question

1. a driver sees another car approaching him from behind. he fears it is going to collide with his car. should he speed up or slow down in order to reduce damage? a. he should speed up. b. he should slow down. c. he should speed up and then slow down just before the collision. d. he should slow down and then speed up just before the collision.

Explanation:

To determine the best action, we analyze the physics of collisions. When a car is approaching from behind, speeding up increases the relative speed difference less than slowing down would. Wait, no—actually, the key is the relative velocity. If the driver speeds up, the relative speed between the two cars (the difference in their speeds) decreases compared to if he slows down. A smaller relative speed means less kinetic energy involved in the collision, reducing damage. So speeding up reduces the relative velocity, minimizing the impact force and damage.

Answer:

a. He should speed up.