Passenger's Mass?

Question

In a car crash, an airbag exerts -4000 N of force on a passenger moving at 10 m/s. The passenger comes to rest in 0.11 sec. What is the passenger's mass?

 

Show work please.

Answer 1

Impulse:

I = -4000N * 0.11s = -440 N*s

Change in momentum of passenger:

mΔv = I = -440 N*s

Bringing passenger to rest:

Δv = -10 m/s (negative because the final velocity is zero and the initial velocity is 10)

 

m = -440/-10 = 44 kg.

 

Mass of passenger: 44 kg.