Final answer:
Wearing a seat belt minimizes the impact of inertia by using the concept of impulse, which spreads the force over a longer time, reducing the impact force during collisions.
Step-by-step explanation:
You can minimize the effect of inertia on your body while driving by wearing your seat belt. This is because seat belts and other safety features like airbags make use of the physics concept of impulse. Impulse is defined as the net force multiplied by the time duration over which the force acts, expressed as Fnet × Δt.
In the event of a sudden stop, seat belts and airbags increase the time over which the force is exerted on the body, thus reducing the force and minimizing potential injuries.
Cars are designed to crumple upon impact, which increases the time duration of a collision and results in a lower force exerted on the vehicle and its occupants. This, along with features like padded dashboards and crumpling mechanisms, are engineered based on impulse principles to maximize safety. When a car collides with an object, the momentum change of the car is the same regardless of these safety features. However, the presence of seat belts, airbags, and crumpling structures ensures that the force experienced by the occupants is far less, thereby preventing severe injuries or deaths.