You are driving directly behind a pickup truck, going at the same speed as the truck. a crate falls from the bed of the truck to the road. (a) will your car hit the crate before the crate hits the road if you neither brake nor swerve? (b) during the fall, is the horizontal speed of the crate more than, less than, or the same as that of the truck?

1.) falling from the truck, the crate is in free fall.
It’s vertical component of velocity is affected by gravity. The horizontal

2.) component is the same magnitude as it (and the tuck) had at the moment of launch.

3.) while airborne it maintains horizontal speed.

You and it have the same x-displacement during this time, meaning the distance between the crate and you will be constant until the moment it hits the ground.

No, you do not hit the crate.

After it hits the ground. It’s a whole different story.

Hope this helps a little