Final answer:
The design of cars with crumple zones and safety features like airbags function on the principle of impulse to extend the collision time, thereby reducing the force applied to passengers and decreasing the likelihood of severe injuries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Regarding the question on how the design of cars can help protect passengers during a collision, it is crucial to understand the concept of impulse and its role in safety features. When a car experiences a collision, the goal is to reduce the force experienced by the passengers.
By having parts that can crumple or collapse, such as those made from plastic components, cars extend the duration of the collision, effectively spreading the force over a longer time period. This increase in the time of impact reduces the rate of force exerted on the passengers, thus decreasing the likelihood of severe injuries.
The concept of impulse, which is the product of the net force and the time it acts (Fnet Δt), illustrates why extending the collision time can be beneficial. For example, the presence of airbags and dashboard padding in vehicles helps to lengthen the time over which the stopping force acts, lessening the impact on occupants.
Moreover, during car races, the replacement of rigid frames with parts that could crumple or collapse has led to a significant decrease in fatalities, demonstrating the effectiveness of increasing the collision time to minimize forces during a crash