The physics behind our car protection
system Gerald is divided into sections
how we use momentum and the other
side is about energy management.
What would happen in a rear
end crash?
We can use Law of conservation of
momentum to show how in our rear car
collision which conditions will change
because of the collision. In a rear end
collision we will have larger car one and
a smaller car two. Car one is moving at
car two which is not moving. Before the
two cars crash car one will have
momentum which is mass*velocity. Now
lets say car 1 has a mass of 1,500 kg
which is the avg. mass of all cars. Now
lets say it also is moving a velocity of 50
kilometers per second. That means car
1 has a momentum of 1500*50=75,000.
Now for car two lets say it has a mass
of 1000 kg. We are also assuming that
the cars kind of stick together or stay
together after the collision and that
there is no friction or air resistance.
Now when the cars hit and stick
together the momentum has to stay the
same because of the law of
conservation of momentum. That
means that momentum stays the same
throughout a system of trades of
momentum if no external unbalanced
forces interfere with the system. That
means after the collision the mass of
car1 and car2 that are sticking to each
other would now be 2,500 kg. That
means the velocity would go down
because it would be velocity=
momentum/mass
Velocity=75,000/2,500
30=75,000/2,500. That means after the
cars stick together they would have a
decrease in velocity because of the
increase of mass.
Newtons Laws
Now we also need to also talk about Newtons three
laws because that helps us know how to disperse Group 8 car
the energy and the momentum in a collision. I will
start with Newtons frist law. This law states that a protection system
motion stays in motion or stays at rest along there is The Gerald
no unbalance force or forces that affect it. We use
this law in a collision because if our car gets hit or
hits something it stops or the thing that hits our car
stops and that would result our car moving. Now
when our car is hit it still moves ,but it slows down
because an unbalanced force called friction and it
lowers the velocity/speed. Newtons second law
states that if we have the same force acting on a
object. It is represented as Force=(Mass)
(Acceleration). We can change this mathematically
to be Force/Mass=acceleration or Force/
Acceleration= Mass.You also have to note the force
is an unbalanced force. Now this applies to a car
collision because in a rear end collision the rear end
car crashing into the receiving car will put
unbalanced force to the receiving car. Depending on
the mass and the acceleration we can calculate how
much force in Newtons the rear car is putting into
the receiving car and forcing it move forward. Now
for the third law which states that for every action
there is a reaction of force which is equal in what
force was put in and it goes the opposite way the
force is applying for example let's say there two
hands. Hand A and hand B. If Hand A pushes Hand
B palm to palm hand B be would be push back with
a force equal to what hand A pushed and will push
back at hand A. Now we can see this in a car
collision because when our car is in a font head on
collision like if our car hit a tree. When the car hits
the tree the tree gives back force and that why the
glass can break and why the driver falls back and hit
the head rest when we hit the tree.
By Alexander L.
How does energy and

Why would we need to know
this?
Now a reason why engineers need to
know how momentum works is that its
a key thing to know to design crumple
zones. The reason why is that they
have to think how to get the momentum
out of the car and make sure it does not
go to the passenger.Like in our desgin
its foam becasue we know that air
molecules move so if they get hit with
the force of mometum it will move and
will diperse the momtum that is the idea
for a air bag that is represented with the
cotton. Now if something rigid like a
frame of a car or the sheet metal still
may want to move because it would
have a lot of mass so it can still
disperse the momentum.
We also can calculate what is the
momentum of our box when we drop it
from the 86 tube.7.125*=1873.875
So that would be what momentum we
need to disperse.
How does energy work? momentum apply?
Energy in physics is a force that is associated with Now after explain I these two sections
something. Like kinetic energy is energy is of explaining how physics apply into
associated with motion or gravity potential energy. designing a car. We can talk how
G.P.E is associated with what that energy can these sections help explain what
change into kinetic or something else that why it happening in the car. When it starts
called potential. We know the energy has to change the weights of the rear end collision
because of a law in physics that says that no energy the rear car is putting pressure on the
can be created or destroyed and that energy in car and it getter more kinetic energy
gravity potential energy can become kinetic while our car is also getting more
energy.Here is an example: kinetic energy. When it hits the ground
Let's say that a box falls. At the highest position the
the kinetic energy that our car had hits
box is when the box has the most gravity potential the ground and it comes back
energy. When the box drops the potential energy because because of reaction force
becomes kinetic energy. The reason why is that the from ground because Newtons third
box gets velocity from gravity because gravity is law. It hits back at the car as that
acceleration. When the box almost touches the happened the rear car stops and hit
ground or gets the closest to the ground without out car with more Kinetic energy. We
touching it. It has the most kinetic energy and at that
will start at the crumple zone (grey)
position it should have the same amount of energy made out of foam .When it stops the
as the energy at the top of the position when it was energy goes to the crumple zones
dropped because of the law of conservation of which are there which gets pressure
energy. You may want to see the math behind this. and the air inside it gets some of the
The math of energy. energy and momentum. The air
Our car has a of 263 kg and we are dropping it at pushes out and goes out of the box.
the height of 86 or 2.5908 meters .That means the The momentum and energy moves on
acceleration should be 9.8 because that is gravity. to the box area of our car. The outer
Here is how you calculate it: box(light blue) is a rigid structure
( gravity)(mass)(height )=GPE made of three layers of poster paper.
Now we substitute it. The inner box (orange) is made of
sticks and tape and cardboard . It still
(9.8 m/s 2)(263 kg)(2.5908 meters )=6677.52792 J
have to move to get some of
Now that should be the same to the kinetic energy momentum out because there is still
when the car hits the ground .so that means it air molecules that can move and
should be 6677.52792 joules. We can also find disperse the momentum. The energy
velocity using the law of conservation of energy. does the same thing like the
velocity 2 momentum and some of it gets
KE=1/2(mass) disperse. The next area is what is in
2 the smaller box. There is the same
velocity =(graivty )(mass)(height )
foam (black) from the crumple zone
1/ 2(mass) that helps soak and disperse the
Now I am going to change it to solve it for velocity. momentum and the kinetic energy.
velocity 2=graivtyheight ( we can subtract The stuffing/cotton (white) around the
1/2 egg . That cotton has a lot more air
the mass from both sides) and it still has mass to help keep the
2
velocity =2 gravityheight (we times both egg in place with the seat (green).
 sides by 2) (velocity)= (then we square
root it to only have velocity)
(velocity)=
7.12598624753 m/s=

*pictures are not to scale