Suppose the time you take to bring the egg thrown at you to stop is t. Would you

Question

Suppose the time you take to bring the egg thrown at you to stop is t. Would you rather catch the egg in such a way that t is small or large?

I'd rather make the time t as small as possible. According to the momentum-impulse theorem stopping the egg over a shorter period of time results in a smaller momentum change thus the egg wouldn't break because it lost less energy.

I'd rather make the time t as small as possible. According to the momentum-impulse theorem the time and the force are directly proportional. Thus shorter time will result in a smaller force and I am less likely to break the egg.   

I'd rather make the time as large as possible. According to the momentum-impulse theorem larger time results in a larger momentum change. Thus more momentum will go into my hands and less into the egg and I am less likely to break the egg.

I'd rather make the time t as large as possible. Stopping the egg results in the same momentum change regardless of the time it took to stop it. However according to the momentum-impulse theorem longer time would result in smaller force and I am less likely break the egg.

Explanation / Answer

In accordance with impulse-momentum theorem, the larger time demands a smaller force.

Change in momentum or impulse

Ft = p = mv

Thus,

I'd rather make the time as large as possible. According to the momentum-impulse theorem larger time results in a larger momentum change. Thus more momentum will go into my hands and less into the egg and I am less likely to break the egg.

The third option is correct.

Note : In first two options, it takes less time, would results in greater force. thus these are incorrect. The last option is regardless of time, so it is not correct. Becauuse, the momentum change is time factor.

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