Reducing the impact
Calculations
SHOW YOUR WORKING – INCLUDE UNITS
1.
a) A car is driving at 30m/s. The passenger has a mass of 70kg.
What is the passenger’s momentum?
b) The car drives into the back of a drunk driver who has
suddenly stopped for a chicken and stops completely in 1s.
How much force did the driver have impacted him upon him?
2.
a) A driver in a K reg Ford Fiesta has a mass of 72kg. It is
travelling at a speed of 25m/s. What is the momentum of the
passenger?
b) The K reg Ford Fiesta hit a wall and has no air bag, so the
driver’s momentum is reduced in just 0.8s. What force would
have been impacted on the driver?
c) The driver behind the Ford Fiesta is a 15 plate BMW. The
passenger has a mass of 68kg and is travelling at 21 m/s.
What is the momentum of the passenger?
d) The BMW goes into the back of the Ford Fiesta. The BMW
does have airbags and so it takes 3s for his momentum to
change to 0kgm/s. What force would the driver feel on his
body?
e) The driver behind the BMW, is in a Ford Ka. The passenger
has a mass of 72kg and is travelling 21m/s. What is the
momentum of the passenger?
f) The Ford Ka driver is not wearing a seatbelt and hits his
steering wheel. Her impact time is 0.5s. What force does she
feel on her body?
g) Predict who came out worse off and explain your answer.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
1. A) 30 x 70 = 2100 kgm/s
B) 2100/1 = 2100 N
2.
a) 72 x 25 = 1800 kgm/s
b) 1800/0.8 = 2250 N
c) 68 x 21 = 1428 kgm/s
d) 1428/3 = 476 N
e) 72 x 21= 1512 kgm/s
f) 1512/0.5 = 3024 N
g) Driver of Ka
 shorted impact time
 Results in greater impact force