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The human body can survive an acceleration trauma incident (sudden stop) if the magnitude of the acceleration is less than 250 m/s\(^{2}\). If you are in an automobile accident with an initial speed of 105 km/h (65 mi/h) and are stopped by an airbag that inflates from the dashboard, over what distance must the airbag stop you for you to survive the crash?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The airbag must stop you over 1.7 meters to survive.

Step by step solution

01

Convert Speed to Meters per Second

The initial speed is given in kilometers per hour (km/h). To use standard units in the calculation, we need to convert this speed to meters per second (m/s). The conversion factor is 1 km/h = 0.27778 m/s.\[ v_i = 105 \text{ km/h} \times \frac{0.27778 \text{ m/s}}{1 \text{ km/h}} = 29.167 \text{ m/s} \]
02

Identify Known Values

We have the following known values:- Initial speed, \( v_i = 29.167 \text{ m/s} \)- Final speed, \( v_f = 0 \text{ m/s} \) (since the body comes to a stop)- Maximum tolerable acceleration, \( a = 250 \text{ m/s}^2 \)
03

Use the Kinematic Equation

We will use the kinematic equation that relates initial velocity, final velocity, acceleration, and distance traveled:\[ v_f^2 = v_i^2 + 2a d \]Plug in the known values where \( v_f = 0 \), solve for \( d \):\[ 0 = (29.167)^2 + 2(-250) d \]
04

Solve for Distance \( d \)

Rearrange the equation to solve for \( d \):\[ 0 = 850.02889 - 500d \]\[ 500d = 850.02889 \]\[ d = \frac{850.02889}{500} \]\[ d = 1.7 \text{ meters} \]Therefore, the airbag must stop the person over a distance of 1.7 meters to ensure survival.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Understanding Acceleration Trauma
When discussing acceleration trauma, it refers to the potential injuries one might sustain during a rapid change in speed. In the context of physics, such trauma can occur when the body undergoes a quick deceleration, like in a car crash. The human body can withstand certain levels of acceleration, but when it exceeds a certain threshold, it can lead to severe injuries.
To put it simply, this concept is about how fast you can slow down without getting hurt. For most people, the body can tolerate decelerations up to 250 m/s². Anything above this can lead to what is known as acceleration trauma.
This value is critical in designing safety features, such as airbags. They work by cushioning your impact and extending the time over which your momentum changes, thus reducing the effective acceleration.
Exploring the Kinematic Equation
Kinematic equations are fundamental in physics when analyzing motion. These equations help us understand and calculate how objects move under certain conditions, such as constant acceleration. In our problem, we rely on one particular kinematic equation:
  • \( v_f^2 = v_i^2 + 2a d \)
This equation relates:
  • Initial velocity \( (v_i) \)
  • Final velocity \( (v_f) \)
  • Acceleration \( (a) \)
  • Distance traveled \( (d) \)
By plugging the known values into this equation, we can determine the stopping distance needed to reduce the acceleration to a safe level. In the context of acceleration trauma, it ensures the force experienced by the body is distributed over a longer distance and time, minimizing injury risk.
Understanding how these elements interact provides insight into vehicle safety and the importance of proper crash mechanisms.
Practical Unit Conversion
Unit conversion is a crucial skill in physics to ensure all measurements are compatible. In this exercise, we convert the initial speed from kilometers per hour (km/h) to meters per second (m/s). This step is vital because the kinematic equations require consistent units for speed, distance, and acceleration.
The conversion factor between km/h and m/s is 1 km/h = 0.27778 m/s. For example, our initial speed is 105 km/h. To convert it:
  • \( 105 ext{ km/h} \times 0.27778 = 29.167 ext{ m/s} \)
This conversion ensures that calculations using the kinematic equations operate smoothly, maintaining accuracy and consistency.
Having the correct units allows for more accurate computations and understanding of how different physical quantities relate to one another.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

A Honda Civic travels in a straight line along a road. The car's distance \(x\) from a stop sign is given as a function of time \(t\) by the equation \(x(t) = \alpha{t^2} - \beta{t^3}\), where \(\alpha =\) 1.50 m/s\(^2\) and \(\beta =\) 0.0500 m/s\(^3\). Calculate the average velocity of the car for each time interval: (a) \(t =\) 0 to \(t =\) 2.00 s; (b) \(t =\) 0 to \(t =\) 4.00 s; (c) \(t =\) 2.00 s to \(t =\) 4.00 s.

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