(July 31, 2011 at 11:01 pm)Darwinian Wrote: Two cars hitting each other in a head on collision at 50 m.p.h. is the same as one car hitting a solid wall at...
And explain your reasoning please
Assuming the two cars are
1. identical,
2. symmetrical about its long axis
3 Experience collision exactly squarely head on,
Only then is their 50 mph headon collision is from the perspective of each car the same as hitting an unyielding wall at 50 mph.
Otherwise the collision dynamics will introduce torques and net lateral forces which cause the collision to be different from hitting a wall.