Science – Physics Assignment

Most effective Safety Feature Brayden Kyte 10B

Aim:
To investigate and analyse quantitatively the effectiveness of various safety features in a model automobile involved in a head on collision.
Research Question: How do safety features of a vehicle such as seatbelts, crumple zones and airbags, reduce the impact force and forward momentum applied to the driver of the vehicle and which one is most effective?
Hypothesis:
The crumple zone of the model car will prove to be the most effective in slowing momentum more effectively because it will absorb most of the impact force, therefore transferring less force, and velocity to the plasticine man.
Justification:
Research has shown that in instances of forward collision, crumple zones will assist in avoiding fatalities in forward collision. The goal for this structure is to crush in a relatively gradual, predictable way that absorbs much of the impact energy, keeping it away from the occupants in what is termed a “controlled crush”. Newton’s first law states that an object in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force. As a result, if a vehicle is going 60km/h, the bodies will want to continue going in the same direction at 60km/h. Newton’s second law of motion, force = mass x acceleration, conveys that as the time it takes for an automobile to come to rest or change direction is …show more content…
Variables:
Independent – Mass
Dependent – Force, Momentum
Control – Distance
Results
Table 1:
Test 1 D T V Mass Acceleration Force Momentum
3 features 2.3 1.31 1.76 0.15 1.34 0.2 0.26
3 features 2.3 1.5 1.53 0.38 1.02 0.39 0.58
3 features 2.3 1.31 1.76 0.12 1.34 0.16 0.21

Graph 1:

Table 2: D V T Acceleration Force Momentum
Test 1 2.3 1.76 1.31 1.34 0.2 0.26
Test 2 2.3 1.67 1.38 1.21 0.18 0.25
Test 3 2.3 1.93 1.19 1.62 0.24 0.29
Test 4 2.3 2.05 1.12 1.83 0.27 0.31

Graph 2:

Graph 3:

Graph 4:

Graph