Crash Physics

Crash Physics

1. Forces

   • Energy
     • Kinetic energy is the energy of motion (moving).
     • Potential Energy is the stored energy (Gravitational Potential energy is the energy of an object up high with the ability to fall. Other potential energys include chemical and elastic)
     • Energy is often transferred from one object to another. Energy can also be transformed or converted from one type to another. Although energy can be transferred and transformed, it can never be created or destroyed. this is known as the law of conservation of energy.
   • balanced/unbalanced
     • If the forces acting on an object are balanced it will either remain stationery or move at a constant speed.
     • If the forces acting on an object are unbalanced the object will accelerate or decelerate.
   • When the skydiver jumps out of the plane he accelerates due to the force of gravity pulling him down. As he speeds up, the upward air resistance force increases. he carries on accelerating as long as the air resistance is less than his weight. Eventually, he reaches terminal speed, when the air resistance and weight become equal. They are said to be balanced. When he opens the parachute there is a great spread of air resistance now unbalancing the forces causing him to slow down. As he slows down the forces become balanced and he once again falls at terminal speed just at a much slower rate than before.
   • Make a car faster
     • Tyres - have wide tyres
     • Weight - as light as possible
     • Blowers - they help air getting through to the combustion chamber quicker and faster
     • Engine - new and powerful generally creates more horse power
   • Safety Features
     • Airbags are there to stop occupants from hitting hard materials in a car in moderate to sever crashes
     • Structure is important so that it can absorb as much crash energy as possible but also keeping the passenger compartment intact
     • Crumple zones are also used to absorb crash energy and reducing the force you're exposed to when involved in a crash, this is because the crumble in a controlled and progressive manner
     • Safety belts are to control movement of the occupant in the car to limit any harmful movement as possible

2. Define...

   • Gravity - the force that attracts an object towards the centre of the earth or to another object.
   • Acceleration - a vehicle or another capable objects capacity to change speed
   • Deceleration - is the affect of an object capable of changing speed to slow down.
   • Mass - a large body of matter with no definite shape
   • Speed - the rate at which someone or something moves or operates or is able to move or operate.
   • Velocity - the speed of something in a given direction. its speed with direction
   • Newton - the unit of force. It is equal to the force that would give a mass of 1kg an acceleration of 1 meter per second.
   • weight - a bodys relative mass or the quantity of matter contained by it.

3. Friction

   • oil in car engines
     • By helping moving parts operate smoothly, oil enables machinery to work with less effort, saving energy. It also decreases the wear and tear on their mechanisms, extending the lives of their mechanical components. Both of these effects contribute to lower overall operating costs.