When Physics meets Biology

Which best describes a crash in scientific terms?

• A vehicle malfunction

• A sudden acceleration of a vehicle

• A rapid exchange of energy between objects

• An engine failure

According to Newton’s First Law, what happens to a person in a moving car that suddenly stops?

• They stop immediately with the car

• They continue moving forward at the same speed

• They fall backward

• They become weightless

How do seat belts protect passengers in a crash?

• By stopping the car from crashing

• By preventing the airbags from deploying

• By spreading out the force over a larger part of the body

• By accelerating the person forward

In a crash, if force stays the same, how can the impact be reduced?

• Increase the passenger’s mass

• 
  Decrease the acceleration by increasing stopping time

• Use lighter cars

• Reduce the seat belt tension

When two cars collide, why do both cars experience damage?

• Because only one car is moving

• Because motion cancels out

• Because each car exerts an equal and opposite force on the other

• Because air resistance increases

Why do cars have crumple zones?

• To make the crash louder

• To make the car lighter

• To absorb energy and increase the time of impact

• To increase the speed of impact

Why is understanding biology important in crash safety?

• Because biology causes crashes

• Because biological tissues respond differently to forces

• Because it helps design engines

• Because cells cause acceleration

Why are helmets important for brain protection?

• They increase your speed

• They help you see better

• They reduce the force on the skull and brain by increasing stopping time

• They keep your hair in place

Why does increasing the time of impact reduce the force experienced in a collision?

• Because the object becomes lighter

• Because velocity is reduced

• Because force is spread over more time (Impulse = Force × Time

• Because the mass increases

Why is understanding biological limits important in crash safety design?

• To make cars faster

• To increase engine size

• 
  To design safety systems that avoid exceeding force levels the human body can withstand

• To build cheaper vehicles