Final answer:
Airbags inflate at high speeds of up to around 200 to 250 mph to ensure they are fully deployed in time to safely cushion passengers during a collision, reducing the force on their bodies by spreading it out over a longer period due to the physics concept of impulse.
Step-by-step explanation:
Airbags are designed to inflate at high speeds to protect passengers in the event of a collision. They deploy upon impact and are one of the key safety features in vehicles, aiming to minimize serious injuries during front-end collisions.
When discussing the deployment speed of airbags in the context of protecting adults, it is important to note that airbags can inflate at speeds of up to around 200 to 250 mph. This rapid inflation is vital as it allows the airbags to be fully deployed by the time the forward momentum of the passengers brings them into contact with the airbag, thus reducing the force on their bodies by increasing the time over which the force is applied.
The concept underlying the function of airbags relates to impulse, which in physics is the product of the force applied to an object and the time over which the force is applied.
Impulse explains why airbags can greatly reduce the force on a passenger in a crash. Even though the change of momentum is the same with or without an airbag, slowing a passenger down over a longer period reduces the peak force experienced by the passenger, resulting in less severe injuries. The same principle applies to other safety features like seat belts and crumple zones in cars, which also serve to increase the duration of the impact and therefore decrease the force.