Question

While riding in a moving car, you toss an egg directly upward. Does the egg tend to land behind you,in front of you,or back in your hands if the car is

(a) traveling at a constant speed,
(b) increasing in speed,and
(c) decreasing in speed

Answer 1

Answer:

a) In the hand

b) behind the hand

c) in front of the hand

Explanation:

a)

When traveling at a constant speed when an egg is tossed directly upwards it lands back in our hand.  It is so because the instant when the egg is released from the hand the egg has the same velocity as the velocity of the person sitting in the moving car, and hence by the virtue of inertia of motion it land lands back in our hand.

b)

When we toss an egg while the car is accelerating then the egg lands behind the hand because the hand along with the car is accelerating ahead. The instant when the egg is released from the hand the car is accelerating then the car has a lower velocity which the egg acquires in the air, while the  egg is in the air the car further gains the velocity and hence the egg lands behind the hand.

C)

When the speed of the car is decreasing then the egg lands in front of the hand because the moment when the egg was tossed into the air it acquired the instantaneous velocity of the car from that moment and then while it was in the air it had the same velocity as initial while the car further decelerated.