Final answer:
Air bags can be found in the steering wheel, dashboard, and side doors of a vehicle, and they serve to reduce the impact force on passengers by increasing the impact time, based on the principle of impulse.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vehicles may have air bags in a variety of locations including the steering wheel, the dashboard, and the side doors. These airbags are designed to deploy upon impact to minimize serious injuries to passengers. Airbags work on the principle of impulse, allowing the net force on occupants in the car to act over a much longer time during a sudden stop. This reduces the impact force on the occupants, as a larger time to stop results in a smaller force, according to the relationship Fnet = Δp/ Δt, where Δp is the change in momentum and Δt is the change in time.
Airbags in vehicles can be located in a variety of places, including the steering wheel, dashboard, and side doors. These airbags are designed to deploy upon impact to minimize serious injuries to passengers. The deployment of airbags reduces the force on vehicle occupants, allowing the net force to act over a longer time, which decreases the force of the impact. This safety feature has been required on all passenger vehicles in the United States since 1991.