Which statement best describes force of impact?

• A. It is the force that resists motion
• B. It is the force generated when objects meet
• C. It is the force causing acceleration
• D. It is the force that acts during braking due to friction

Answer: (B)

The force of impact is the force exchanged between objects at the moment they collide. When two objects meet, each exerts a force on the other, and these forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction. Impact force is typically very large when the collision is brief, because impulse (change in momentum) equals force times contact time, and a shorter contact time means a bigger force. This description emphasizes the interaction during contact, which happens specifically at the moment of meeting, not the ongoing resistance to motion or a general cause of acceleration. For example, a ball hitting a glove involves a rapid, large force as the ball and glove push away from each other. The other options describe different forces—friction resisting motion, the net force causing acceleration, or braking friction—rather than the collision interaction itself.