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An exercise for those who would overly trust the crash safety of small vehicles:
Two vehicles collide head on, going 100kph (27.8m/s). One vehicle has mass 2200kg, the other has mass 1200kg.
1) Assume the masses stick together after collision. Calculate the change in momentum for both vehicles, and hence the change in velocity for both vehicles.
2) Assume that crumple zones of both vehicles cause the two vehicles to reach their state of moving together without further crumpling after 0.5 seconds. (If you can research a better estimate, please use it.) Assume constant acceleration. Assume both vehicles hold a passenger of mass 90kg. Calculate the acceleration of each passenger, and then calculate the force imposed on each passenger during the collision.
3) Consider the collision as perfectly inelastic. Calculate the required quantities as in 1 and 2.
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"Every body perseveres in its state of being at rest or of moving uniformly straight forward, except insofar as it is compelled to change its state by force impressed." - Isaac Newton
Last edited by newtonsfirstlaw; 12-21-2007 at 07:39 PM..
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