Question

There is an accident that occurs between two nearly identical vehicles. Both cars have the same mass and hit each other at the same speed, but each is traveling in the opposite direction. The difference between these vehicles is that the first car has the airbags activated during the collision while the second car does not have the airbags activated. Which driver would sustain less injury from the accident and why?

a. Driver in a car with non-activated airbags
b. Driver in a car with activated airbags
c. Airbag extends the time of force exerted that increases impact force
d. Airbag extends the time of force exerted that reduces impact force

Answer 1

The driver with activated airbags would sustain less injury because the airbags provide a longer time over which the force of the impact is exerted, reducing the force's intensity. The correct answer is option b. and d.

Step-by-step explanation:

The driver in a car with activated airbags would sustain less injury from the accident because airbags increase the time over which the force from the collision is exerted on the occupant. The concept of impulse, which is the product of the net force and the time over which it acts, explains this phenomenon. While the momentum change for both drivers would be the same (since both vehicles and speeds are identical), the driver with deployed airbags experiences a smaller force over a longer period, hence reducing the severity of impact and potential injuries.

In the context of vehicular accidents, the ability of parts like airbags to crumple or collapse during a collision also contributes to passenger safety by extending the impact time and consequently reducing the force on the occupants. This concept is similar to the reason cars are designed with materials and structures that allow them to crumple upon impact; it disperses the forces and thereby reduces potential harm to passengers.