"Edward A. Falk" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Artemus wrote:

Are two cars hitting each other at 50 mph the same as 1 car hitting an
immovable wall at 100 mph?

Short answer = no.

Longer answer. If the 2 cars are the same mass(weight) they will both
come to a stop at the point of the collision. Now imagine a brick wall
at that point and each car slams into a side. Each car goes from 50mph
to zero in both cases.

Now only use 1 car and the brick wall. That car still goes from 50mph
to 0mph.

I never thought of it that way.

I'd guess that two cars hitting each other at 50 would be equivalent to
one car going 100 hitting another car that was sitting still in neutral
with no brakes.

That would be true at, and very shortly after, the moment of the collision.
Assuming equal weight cars - the moving car would go from 100 to 50mph
and the stationary car would go from 0 to 50mph. Both cars would sustain
essentially the same damage as if they were both going 50 to 0mph. Once
the collision was complete both cars would slow to 0mph due to friction
with the ground.
Art