What happens to the forces acting on objects in the event of rapid deceleration, such as in the woman's car scenario?

When rapid deceleration occurs, such as when a car suddenly stops, the principle of inertia comes into play. According to Newton's first law of motion, an object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion continues in motion unless acted upon by an external force. In the scenario mentioned, when the car stops abruptly, the passengers and any unsecured objects inside the car will continue to move forward at the same speed the car was traveling prior to the stop.

This continued motion is due to inertia; the objects are not immediately affected by the deceleration because they are not anchored or secured in place. Therefore, although the car has come to a stop, other objects—like passengers or bags—will keep moving forward relative to the car until they meet an external force, such as the seatbelt or the dashboard. This phenomenon explains why option C is the correct answer.

Understanding this allows us to comprehend the importance of safety measures, such as seatbelts, which help restrain occupants and prevent them from being thrown forward in the event of sudden stops or collisions.