The Physics Of Car Crashes - 1525 Words

This is a research assignment on the Physics of Car Crashes. In this report the physics behind car crashes will be reported on in depth to answer the question, â€Å"In a car crash, are you better to trust the science behind a more modern vehicle, or the metal in a large, heavy, older car?† This report will explain the Physics behind why Modern vehicles are safer than older cars in a car crash. Impulse - Impulse is the change in momentum, Initial Momentum - Final Momentum or Force x Time. This means that because momentum is Velocity x Mass, a heavier car traveling at the same Velocity as an older car will have a larger momentum, therefore if both cars crashed into a wall at the same speed and both and end up with a speed of 0ms-1, the Change in Momentum (Impulse) will be higher for the heavier car. Because Impulse is also equal to Force x Time, we can look at the stopping Force of the and how we can lower it. Example: A 1500kg car traveling at 100km/h (27.7ms-1) hits a wall and stops to 0ms-1 has an impulse of 41,550kgms-1. An older 2000kg car traveling at the same speed also hits a wall and stops to 0ms-1 with an impulse of 55,400kgms-1. What it means: This means the older heavier car will have a higher stopping force which immediately puts it at a disadvantage to the modern, smaller car. However because Impulse is Force x Time and remains constant, we can decrease the Stopping Force by increasing the collision Time. Older heavier cars construction consists of heavier,Show MoreRelatedThe Speed Of Car Crashes1590 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Car crashes are most commonly caused by speeding. This is due to the time it takes for the driver to realise they need to engage the brakes, and the time required for the car to fully stop. This is known as the stopping distance. The stopping distance depends on two factors. 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