Final answer:
Modern airbags deploy proportionally to the impact severity and adapt to passenger size, using the physics concept of impulse to reduce injuries during a collision through a chemical reaction that inflates the airbag rapidly.
Step-by-step explanation:
Modern airbag technology allows the airbag to be deployed proportionately with the severity of an impact and is also able to take into account the size of a passenger in the deployment. The use of airbags in vehicles is a great example of the application of the concept of impulse in physics, which is the product of the net force and the time over which it acts on an object. The deployment of airbags during a collision helps to increase the time over which the force is applied to the car occupants, reducing the force on them and minimizing serious injuries.
The function of airbags involves a precise chemical reaction that rapidly inflates the airbag using gases produced by explosive reactions, such as the decomposition of sodium azide (NaN3). This rapid inflation allows the airbag to fill and provide cushioning for the occupants almost instantly upon impact. The improved design of modern airbags has greatly enhanced vehicle safety by reducing fatalities and serious injuries during car crashes.