Please...word problem--physicits mathmaticains needed for help?

Question

A car was stopped on stop sign at a curvy exit of a freeway. Because the exit was curvy, the driver (A) advanced his car about 1 feet just so she could have a better view of the incoming traffic. The car behind thought that driver A was eccelerating, and so B eccelerated too and unfortunaltely rear ended car A at the corner of car A bumper. The surface area of the damage was 3” radius at the left side bumper --the driver A side.

Question 1) : suppose driver B hit driver A at the middle of the bumper, would the impact be less on the driver A?

Question 2) : suppose the same pressure exerted on car A by car B but the surface area was greater than 3” radius, would the impact on the driver A be less--assuming that nothing else is changed….driver A in the same position etc. ?

please help answer...thank you

if you can provide with any formulas that is also so great

Answer 1

This question is very confusing.  It is either very simple or very difficult depending on interpretation.  I will take the easy route.

1)  Why should it matter?  The same velocities and masses are involved, so it should be the same.  (Simple answer)  (More complicated answer -- what is meant by impact?  Is it the force the passenger feels?  Hitting the bumper on the left side reduces the effect on the passenger because it will cause rotation as well as linear acceleration.  Hitting the center all the force goes into linear acceleration.)

2) You said "same pressure".  Pressure is force per unit area, so if the area is more, there is more force, and therefore more impact.