Bullet-Proof? Why not Tree-Proof?

Question

If it is possible to create a vest/suit that is able to absorb the force of impact from such a small object (a bullet) traveling at a very high rate of speed, why is it not possible to develop a vest/suit able to absorb the force of impact from a larger object, say, a steel pipe or a small tree or a telephone pole, moving at a much slower rate of speed?

Answer 1

The problem is mass.  A bullet compared to the weight of a human body is minuscule.   A bullet can pierce your body because it uses momentum and mass against a very small fraction of your body.  What a bullet-proof vest does is spread out the aria of effect from the bullet preventing it from penetrating.  A telephone pole, even moving at a much slower speed, exceeds your entire mass.  If it were possible to spread out the effect across your whole body the damage would still be catastrophic.