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?

While riding in a moving car, an egg has been tossed directly upward.

It deals with the kinematic equations of motion in which the motion can be described with constant acceleration. Also, this problem is based on the concept of projectile motion. When a particle is thrown near the earth’s surface, it travels along a curved path under constant acceleration directed towards the center of the earth surface. Using this concept and kinematic equation, it can be found where egg will land.

Formulae:

The displacement in kinematic equation is given by,

$D=V_{0}t+\left(\frac{1}{2}\right)a{t}^2$

When car is travelling with constant speed, egg also have that speed. When egg is thrown upward it travels projectile path and returns at same level. In this case vertical velocity component of egg changes because of acceleration due to gravity is vertically downward acting. But there is no acceleration along horizontal direction so the egg will have same horizontal velocity throughout motion and egg will land back in our hands.

When car is increasing speed, the horizontal velocity of egg will be the velocity of that moment when it was thrown. Once egg is thrown it will have constant velocity acquired before thrown. Here, car is increasing its speed so egg will land behind us.

When car is decreasing speed, the horizontal velocity of egg will be the velocity of that moment when it was thrown. Once egg is thrown it will have constant velocity acquired before thrown. Here, car is decreasing its speed so egg will land in front of us