Jackie+Mazzi

Collision Crash Course

=**The Physics Behind a Car Crash** =

====Even though car crashes are an unfortunate event, they occur often in our everyday life. Car crashes can end in a variety of ways, from mild damage to severe damage, all depending on the physics behind the car crash. The factors that affect the damage of an accident are the mass of the car, the speed at which the car is going, and the force that the two cars collide. ====

**Mass**
====In a car crash, the mass of the two cars greatly affects the damage that will result. If one car is twice the size of another car, the other car will most likely have twice the damage. If the cars have around the same mass, then they will receive about the same amount of damage to the front of the car. The picture below demonstrates how a truck can completely crush a smaller car due to its relatively larger mass. Notice that the truck barely receives any damage from the crash, but half of the car is completely gone. ====



**Speed**
====The speed of the car is also a very important factor in a car crash. If the cars are going at a very low speed, the damage will be very minimal. If the cars are moving towards each other at a greater velocity, then the cars will collide at a greater force, therefore increasing the damage resulting from the crash. ====

**Force and Momentum**
====The force that the two cars collide depends on the speed at which they are going and the mass of the cars. If the cars have a greater mass and are moving at a greater velocity, then the force will be higher, resulting in a more severe crash. The factors can also balance each other out. For example a car with a smaller mass moving at a higher velocity can still crash with the same force as a car with a larger mass moving at a slower velocity. ====

=Seat Belts = ====Seat belts may not be the coolest thing to wear, but they are definitely the most important factor in a car crash. Buckling up is not only the law, but it is the most effective way to prevent serious damage to the driver during a car crash. Basically, the seat belt prevents the driver from flying head first through the windshield. Since an object in motion tends to stay in motion until acted on by another force, the driver would continue going the speed of the car until it is struck by the front of the car. The seatbelt helps to slow down the driver's speed so the driver does not fly through the window. The seatbelt creates the same force that the windshield would create if the driver hit it, but because the seat belt works over a longer period of time, the force at which the driver stops is much smaller. ====



 Physics Topics: Mass, Speed, Momentum

= = =Sources: = "HowStuffWorks "How Seatbelts Work"" //HowStuffWorks "Auto"// Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/safety-regulatory-devices/seatbelt2.htm>. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">"SUV versus Cars Crash Tests." //Paul Tan's Automotive News//. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://paultan.org/2005/11/17/suv-versus-cars-crash-tests/>. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">"Car Industry Crash Test | Allianz Knowledge." //Home | Allianz Knowledge//. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://knowledge.allianz.com/?418/key-stories-2008-car-industry-crash-test>. <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt;">