A passenger is standing in a bus that is initially at rest
PHYSICS · Subjective · CBSE · Physics · Laws of Motion · Laws of Motion
Problem
A passenger is standing in a bus that is initially at rest. The bus suddenly accelerates forward along a straight road.
(i) List all horizontal forces acting on (a) the passenger and (b) the bus during the brief period of acceleration.
(ii) Explain, without using any calculations, why the passenger appears to be thrown backward relative to the bus interior even though every force has an equal and opposite counterpart.
(iii) Consider the combined passenger-bus system. State whether the net horizontal force on this combined system is zero or non-zero during the acceleration period and justify your answer.