GIZMOS_Crumple Zones-Student Exploration Crumple Zones. Vocabulary: acceleration, airbag, collision avoidance system, crash test dummy, crumple zone

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Student Exploration: Crumple Zones Vocabulary: acceleration, airbag, collision avoidance system, crash test dummy, crumple zone, force, kinetic energy, Newton’s laws of motion, safety cell, seat b... elt, work, work-energy theorem Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) Two burglars run down an alley at night, trying to escape the cops. Jack is carrying a rigid metal safe. Jill is carrying an armful of antique quilts. In the pitch dark, they both collide headlong into a concrete wall. 1. Who do you think will be hurt more in the collision, and why? Jack who is carrying a metal safe would be more hurt because the impact of the safe against the concrete wall is more than an armful of quilts 2. During a car crash, what features of the car might act like either Jack’s safe or Jill’s quilts? During a car crash, the impact of the metal cage and steering wheel acts like Jack carrying a safe and Jill’s quilts act like the airbags of the car as they relieve the impact. Gizmo Warm-up When cars were first invented, the safety of passengers was not a great concern. As vehicles grew larger and faster, accidents became more deadly. Safety features went from being a rare luxury to a legal requirement. In the Crumple Zones Gizmo, you will design cars that will help a crash test dummy survive a collision. 1. To begin, do not make any changes to the DESIGN tab of the Gizmo. Select the CRASH TEST tab, and click Play ( ). After the crash, click Slo-mo replay. What happens?2019 The airbag and seat belt are missing. Due to this, the crash dummy goes forward hitting it’s neck on the wheel and the front of the car gets totaled. 2. Select the RESULTS tab to read about the results of the crash. Do you think a passenger would have survived this car crash? Explain. No because the impact of the car against the wall would lead to trauma/injuries the in head and torso. Activity A: Surviving a crash Get the Gizmo ready: • Click Reset ( ). • On the DESIGN tab, check that Sedan is selected. Introduction: Modern vehicles contain features designed to keep passengers safe in a crash. The crumple zone in the front of the car slows the car gradually and increases stopping time. The safety cell is a rigid cage that prevents passengers from being crushed. Inside, seat belts and airbags prevent the driver from hitting the windshield, steering wheel, or dashboard. Question: How does a crumple zone help protect a passenger? 1. Make a hypothesis: On the DESIGN tab, look at the parameters you can control. What settings do you think will make the safest car? Set up the Gizmo, and then fill in below. Crumple zone length: 120 cm Crumple zone rigidity: 200 kN Safety cell rigidity: 2000 kN Seat belt present? Yes If present, seat belt stiffness: 50 kN/m Air bag present? Yes If present, air bag rigidity: 0 kN 2. Test: On the CRASH TEST tab, check that the Car 1 speed is 16 m/s, or about 35 miles per hour (mph). Click Play. After the crash, select the RESULTS tab. A. By what percentage did the crumple zone deform? 77% Safety cell? 5% B. Did the dummy hit the steering wheel? No C. What was the maximum force on the dummy? 14.25 kN [Show More]

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