Answer:
An increase in the stopping time (collision time) of the car.
Explanation:
The force exerted on the passenger during the collision is given by:
[tex]F=\frac{\Delta p}{\Delta t}[/tex]
where [tex]\Delta p[/tex] is the variation in momentum of the passenger and [tex]\Delta t[/tex] is the stopping time. From this equation, we see that the force is inversely proportional to the duration of the collision: therefore, if the stopping time [tex]\Delta t[/tex] is increased (and this is what an airbag does), then the force exerted on the passenger is decreased.
