Links
Forces and Motion
Momentum
Revision Questions
gcsescience.com 47 gcsescience.com
The Change in Momentum and Car Safety.
How do Crumple Zones, Seatbelts and Airbags work?
The previous two pages show that
a car
that crashes
experiences a much larger force
than a car that has stopped
safely by braking.
People (the driver
and passengers) inside a car
that crashes
are also exposed to a large force
and this can cause injuries.
Below are listed three
ways in which safety features
try to minimize the force
during a crash by making
the change in
momentum happen over a longer
period of time
(cycle and motorcycle helmets
work in the same way).
What is a Crumple
Zone?
The car is designed so that the structure
of the car
will give way during a collision.
The
metal of the car
will dent, bend and fold
during a collision
which increases the amount of time
it takes the car to stop.
The parts of the car that
do this
(the front and the back)
are called crumple zones.
How do Seatbelts work?
Car seatbelts protect people in two
ways during a crash.
The seatbelt prevents
the person being thrown about in the car,
possibly through the windscreen
or hitting themselves
on the steering wheel or other
objects.
The seatbelt also stretches
a little, while restraining
the person during a crash.
The stretching
increases the amount of time it takes the person
to stop.
How do Airbags work?
Airbags are bags which
inflate very quickly
during a crash.
They provide a softer surface (like a pillow)
to prevent the people hitting
themselves on hard
objects.
They are designed to be used with a seatbelt.
An airbag will give way
a little when a person hits
it and this gives an
extra increase to
the amount of time it takes the person
to stop.
Bubble
wrap packaging has the same
effect
and is used to protect objects that are being
transported.
Links
Forces and Motion
Momentum
Revision Questions
gcsescience.com Physics Quiz Index Momentum Quiz gcsescience.com
Home GCSE Chemistry GCSE Physics
Copyright © 2015 gcsescience.com. All Rights Reserved.