A man getting down from a running bus falls forward :

Foundation

Physics Foundation

Force and Newtons Law of Motion

Question

as the forward movement of bus tries to pull the man forward

due to inertia the upper part of the body moves in the forward direction while feet come to the rest as soon as they touch the road

as he leans forward as a matter of habit

due to the combination effect of all the three factors stated in (A), (B) and (C)

Hint : Due to inertia, the body in motion stays in motion and the body in rest remains stationary unless it is affected by an external force.

Explanation : According to Newton’s first law of motion, the body in motion stays in motion unless it is affected by an external force.

The inertia of a body is the tendency of the body to remain in motion, even when the applied force on the body is removed.

The person in the bus moves in the same direction of the motion of the bus. When the person steps out of the bus, his feet do not move but his upper body moves in the direction of the bus due to inertia of motion.

Hence, a man getting down from a running bus falls forward due to inertia the upper part of the body moves in the forward direction while feet come to the rest as soon as they touch the road.

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