Amusement Park Physics -- Colliding Cars

Predict the Outcomes of
Bumper Car Collisions

Bumper cars are a good way to look at Newton's second and third laws of motion. These laws say that:

The greater the mass of an object, the harder it is to change its speed. This is the law of acceleration.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is the law of interaction.

In this activity, try to predict what will happen in three bumper car collisions. For each collision, you'll be shown two possible outcomes. Select the one you think will occur.

You might want to read about Newton's laws of motion before you begin.

Click on the "Begin" button to the left to get started.

Back to Bumper Cars

"Amusement Park Physics" is inspired by programs from The Mechanical Universe...and Beyond.