Student Exploration: Crumple Zones

Student Exploration: Crumple Zones Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and prompts in the orange boxes. Vocabulary: acceleration, airbag, collision avoidance system, crash test dummy, crumple zone, forcse, kinetic energy, Newton’s laws of motion, safety cell, seat belt, 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? 2. During a car crash, what features of the car might act like either Jack’s safe or Jill’s quilts? 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? 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.