Understanding the Importance of Seat Belts: A Physics Perspective, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Physics

Download Understanding the Importance of Seat Belts: A Physics Perspective and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Physics in PDF only on Docsity! Activity 4 Life (and Death) before Seat Belts Activity 4 GOALS In this activity you will: * Understand Newton's First Law of Motion. * Understand the role of safety belts. * Identify the three collisions in every accident. A Perform the activity outside of traffic areas. Do not obstruct paths to exits. Do not leave carts lying on the floor. Life (and Death) before Seat Belts What Do You Think? Throughout most of the country, the law requires automobile passengers to wear seat belts. ¢ Should wearing a seat belt be a personal choice? ¢ What are two reasons why there should be seat belt laws and two reasons why there should not? Record your ideas about these questions in your Active Physics log. Be prepared to discuss your responses with your small group and the class. For You To Do 1. In this activity, you will investigate car crashes where the driver or passenger does not wear seat belts. Your model car is a laboratory cart. Your model passenger is molded from a lump of soft clay. With the “passenger” in place, send the “car” at a low speed into a wall. Coordinated Science for the 21st Century Safety Physics Words Newton's First Law of Motion: an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by an unbalanced, external force. inertia: the natural tendency of an object to remain at rest or to remain moving with constant speed ina straight line. Na) Describe, in your log, what happens to the “passenger.” 2. Repeat the collision at a high speed. Compare and contrast this collision with the previous one. Na) Compare and contrast requires you to find and record at least one similarity and one difference. A better response includes more similarities and differences. 3. You can conduct a more analytical experiment by having the cart hit the wall at varying speeds. Set up a ramp on which the car can travel. Release the car on the ramp and observe as it crashes into the wall. Repeat the collision for at least two ramp heights. Na) Record the heights of the ramp and describe the results of the collision. Describe the collision by noting the damage to the “passenger.” PHYSICS TALK Newton’s First Law of Motion Newton’s First Law of Motion (also called the Law of Inertia) is one of the foundations of physics. It states: An object at rest stays at rest, and an object in motion stays in motion unless acted upon by a net external force. There are three distinct parts to Newton’s First Law. Part 1 says that objects at rest stay at rest. This hardly seems surprising. Part 2 says that objects in motion stay in motion. This may seem strange indeed. After looking at the collisions of this activity, this should seem clearer. Part 3 says that Parts 1 and 2 are only true when no force is present. Active Physics Activity 4 Life (and Death) before Seat Belts 2. Give two more examples of how Newton’s First Law applies to vehicles or people in motion. 3. According to Newton’s First Law, objects in motion will continue in motion unless acted upon by a force. Using Newton’s First Law, explain why a cart that rolls down a ramp eventually comes to rest. 4. The skateboard, shown in the picture to the right, strikes the curb. Draw a diagram indicating the direction in which the person moves. Use Newton’s First Law to explain the direction of movement. 5. Explain, in your own words, the three collisions during a single crash as described by Professor Damask in For You To Read. 6. Use the diagrams below to compare the second and third collisions described by Professor Damask with the impact of a punch during a boxing match. 7. When was the law instituted requiring drivers to wear seat belts? © Coordinated Science for the 21st Century Safety Stretching Exercises 1. Determine what opinions people in your community hold about the wearing of seat belts. Compare the opinions of the 60+ years old and 25 to 59 year old groups with that of the 15 to 24 year old group. Survey at least five people in each age group: Group A = 15 to 24 years, Group B = 25 to 59 years, and Group C = 60 years and older. (Survey the same number of individuals in each age group.) Ask each individual to fill out a survey card. A sample questionnaire is provided below. You may wish to eliminate any question that you feel is not relevant. You are encouraged to develop questions of your own that help you understand what attitudes people in your community hold about wearing seat belts. The answers have been divided into three categories: 1 = agree; 2 = will accept, but do not hold a strong opinion; and 3 = disagree. Try to keep your survey to between five and ten questions. Age group: Date of Survey: No stron; i Statement Agree epee Disagree 1. I believe people should be fined | 1 2 3 for not wearing seat belts. } 2. I wouldn't wear a seat belt if 1 1 2 3 didn't have to. 3. People who don't wear seat belts pose a threat to me when they a 2 3 ride in my car. 4, I believe that seat belts 1 2 3 save lives. 5. Seat belts wrinkle my clothes and fit poorly so I 1 2 3 don't wear them. 2. Make a list of reasons why people refuse to wear seat belts. Can you challenge these opinions using what you have learned about Newton’s First Law of Motion?