What is Accident: Definition and 107 Discussions

An accident is an unplanned event that sometimes has inconvenient, undesirable or even disastrous consequences, other times being inconsequential. The occurrence of such an event may or may not have unrecognized or unaddressed risks contributing to its cause. Most scientists who study unintentional injury avoid using the term "accident" and focus on factors that increase risk of severe injury and that reduce injury incidence and severity.

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  1. Vanadium 50

    I LHC High L pp run ends for 2023

    A bellows failed at the LHC near IP8 (LHCb). It has been replaced and the sector is cooling. Beam is expected on or near September 11. There will not be enough time to return to high luminosity pp running, so the run plan for the rest of the year is low luminosity special pp running and heavy...
  2. kyphysics

    I Car Accident Physics - Are Wheels/Tires Good or Bad Energy Absorbers?

    Here's an applied everyday life physics question based on a MVA (motor-vehicle accident) I was involved in a few weeks ago. I was driving straight when a women hit me from the driver side (said she didn't see me due to being in her blind spot - her claim, not mine, as I don't know if I was or...
  3. anorlunda

    Analyzing panel indicator bulbs in accident investigations

    "also if you have some indication panels for example with bulbs in it, you can after a crash, you can analyze the different wires in the bulbs and then you can determine which for example indications or even warnings were active at the moment of impact." Langauge may be a factor here. By...
  4. anorlunda

    NTSB Accident Report, Data Entry Error

    On September 8, 2019, the 200m long vehicle carrier ship Golden Ray (carrying 4067 Kia, Chevrolet, GMC, GM, Mercedes-Benz, and Ram vehicles) capsized in St. Simons Sound, Georgia, USA The accident caused the loss of a $62 million ship, $142 million in lost cargo, and $250 million in salvage...
  5. T

    A Trying to solve an auto accident question

    My wife was involved in an auto accident and the state DPS was unable to determine the speed of the other vehicle. The impact occurred at an intersection when my wife was making a left hand turn. In the middle of the turn is when she noticed the truck coming up the hill at her. She swerved back...
  6. Baluncore

    Russian rocket accident releases radiation

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-09/russian-rocket-explosion-kills-two-sparks-radiation-concerns/11398604 Radiation has been released following a Russian rocket explosion at the Nyonoksa naval ballistic missile test site. Part of the White Sea has been closed. 5 people now reported killed...
  7. G

    What caused the teenager to die while charging her phone in the bath?

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/11/teenager-dies-charging-phone-bath/ The poor girl got electrocuted, I assume, from the USB case being live at mains voltage. I don't understand - between you and the mains, there should be a transformer, class Y capacitor, and an optocoupler. No direct...
  8. Spideriffic

    Calculate approximate speed of a collision?

    Hi - I know that the information that I can provide here is too limited for a totally accurate answer, but is it possible to come up with a reasonable estimate? One vehicle, snow tires, on dry pavement, 6 degrees celsius, is motionless. Second vehicle strikes first in the rear. No evidence of...
  9. ultron2099

    The Physics of a Fender Bender: Rotating a 4000 lb Van

    Recently I was unfortunately involved in a fender bender. I was traveling at most about 10 mph into an intersection I had just left a Yield sign when a bright red car collided with me. My question, how fast was it likely going? I ask this, because I was driving a van weighing likely 4000 lbs...
  10. Borg

    News First fatal accident involving a car in self driving mode

    It had to happen eventually. The world's first fatality while a car was driving itself. Self-Driving Tesla Was Involved in Fatal Crash If the car can't see a semi turning in front of it, you have to wonder if it can see a motorcycle or even other cars.
  11. nsaspook

    Star Trek' actor Anton Yelchin dead in accident

    RIP http://jalopnik.com/anton-yelchins-jeep-was-included-in-rollaway-recall-lin-1782277820 http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/jaxrs/download/doc/UCM497024/INOA-EA16002-6630.PDF
  12. TChadwick

    I Proving Innocence with Physics in Accident

    I understand that most likely there are no accident experts on this forum and I am not looking for one per-say. I was in an accident where I turned left after entering the intersection on a yellow, pausing for a red and then proceeding, only to be hit by a guy running the red light. We both...
  13. mfb

    ArXiv crackpot filter developed by accident

    A very interesting blog post (from @hossi). A program that helps sorting arXiv submissions into categories frequently struggles with crackpot submissions - because they do not fit in anywhere. The program was never designed for it, but is helps finding them.
  14. S

    Ball on String, Calc V with mass, answer by "accident?"

    Hi all, concerned Dad here - looking for a validating opinion on the following and would be eternally grateful with some guidance/help. The attachment, Unit4ExamAQ7c is from one of my son's honor's exams. He gets #7c CORRECT with the answer v=2.29 m/s. However, the teacher grades him WRONG...
  15. DiracPool

    Medical Skateboard Accident: Dealing with Pain and Loss

    I haven't skateboarded since the late 70's with the Dog town and Z-boyz. I'm typing with my left hand, my right hand is killing me. The wrist. its all swollen. it's horrible, all swollen. Bad accicent at skateboard park. it's gross, it's all pffed up a\nd i can't move it, this sucks. yu...
  16. H

    Accident at kakrapar atomic power station 2016

    Hi everyone. On March 11th 2016, there were reports of an alleged coolant leak at the kakrapar atomic power station. The reactor is an Indian PHWR. Articles at the time suggested the first trip on the reactor was high containment pressure, which signaled to me some sort of loss of coolant...
  17. D

    News Bus accident killed 13 Erasmus students in Catalonia

    Maybe you have heard about this horrible accident in the spanisch province catalonia. While there has been some speculation about whether the driver has fallen asleep, I would like to draw attention to another point: The driver seemingly has only been injured slightly. I guess that the students...
  18. Lukenberg

    Nuclear PP accident in S. Peterburg - how to protect myself?

    Hello, I live not really far from Sankt Peterburg(Russia) and yesterday there was accident, where radioactive gas leaked from reactor. They told those gases headed straight to Finland and Estonia, but in these such of accidents truth is never told for people. Like... let's remember Japan...
  19. M

    Chernobyl Contributing factors towards Chernobyl accident

    Hi, recently I'm doing some reading up on the Chernobyl accident, then I came across what INSAG-7 reported in their findings to be contributing factors leading up to the accident. I've understood that mainly the design of the reactor core and the control rods played a huge part in it. However...
  20. B

    Radioactive Decay Chernobyl reactor accident

    Among the radioactive products emitted in the 1986 Chernobyl reactor accident were 131I ( t1/2 = 8.0 d) and 137Cs (t1/2 = 30 y). There are about five times as many 137Cs atoms as 131I atoms produced in fission. (a) Which isotope contributes the greater activity to the radiation cloud? Assume the...
  21. Crush1986

    I Solved This D.E. Equation by accident

    Homework Statement 5dx - Exp[y-x]dy = 0 Homework Equations partial of M with respect to y equals partial of N with respect to x. The Attempt at a Solution So, I multiplied the equation by Exp[x] and voila that solved it for me by making it an exact D.E. and from there finding the solution...
  22. B

    MHB Help Needed: Calculating Speed After Motorcycle Accident

    Hi there Ladies and Gentlemen. My name is Andre, and I am from South Africa and would like if someone could assist me. Im going to admit that maths is not my forte and I am lost when it comes to anything more than plus or minus or times. lol I was in a motorcycle accident recently , and after...
  23. gleem

    News Rick Perry's "Misspeak" on Charleston Shootings

    Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry used the Charleston shootings to further advance his anti gun control stand by referring to the shootings as an "accident" because of contributing factors (not guns). His staff immediately corrected His statement saying that He misspoke and meant to...
  24. lisab

    John Nash and his Wife Killed in Car Accident

    So sad. The mathematician who inspired the story "A Beautiful Mind", was killed in a taxi accident, along with his wife. They were both in their 80s. RIP. http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2015/05/famed_a_beautiful_mind_mathematician_wife_killed_in_taxi_crash_police_say.html
  25. B

    Physics and Accident Reconstruction: Solving the Drag Equation

    HI all, I am new to the forum and have a real question for you physics buffs. It has to do with drag. For a mathematics paper, I am exploring the use of physics in accident reconstruction. I want to use calculus to create differential equations for the drag equation .5p(Cd)(A)v^2... I want a...
  26. Astronuc

    News Bob Simon, CBS News Legend, Dies at 73 in NYC Car Accident

    Bob Simon of CBS News dead at 73 in New York City car crash http://news.yahoo.com/cbs-news-correspondent-bob-simon-killed-york-city-025008055.html What a loss! My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.
  27. J

    Energy and momentum in a car accident

    Two identical cars collide with equal and opposite velocity to each other. What happens to the energy? What happens to the momentum? Answer: energy is converted into heat and momentum disappears. But what has that to do with force?
  28. FleaFlyFloh

    South Ukraine - Nuclear Plant Accident 3.Dez 2014

    We have just been informed by media in europe that an accident had happened (today?) at the south ukrainian nuclear plant Saporoschje (warzone). Ukrainian Energy Minister will inform the public asap. First rumors say it's not a security issue, it's a technical issue, whatever that means. Let's...
  29. S

    Automotive This is somewhat of a question -- calculations about my car accident

    Now, I had a collision approximately two weeks or so ago, however, I was the one blamed for the collision due to a "witness" but I need some help with the correct calculation I need. You see, her car weighed 2602 pounds, where as my car weighed 3359 pounds, but she hit me hard enough on the...
  30. zoobyshoe

    "You had an accident when you were a child involving water."

    I was reading the Wikipedia article on cold reading and came across this statement in the list of "Barnum statements" that can be used during cold readings. A "Barnum statement" is a statement that sounds specific but is actually applicable to most people. This particular one about having an...
  31. E

    Accident at steel plant spills molten metal onto plant floor

    Here is a video of a funny accident that happened at a steel mill in Russia. Thousands of pounds of molten metal come pouring out of it's ladle onto the floor due to equipment failure. Fortunately no one was hurt in this incident, but the whole plant could have gone up in flames if the outcome...
  32. CFDFEAGURU

    The Damascus Titan II Nuclear Missle Accident

    So, I bought a copy of "Command and Control" and I found out that a made for TV movie about this incident called "Disaster at Silo 7" came out on VHS format and is pretty hard to find. Amazon had 4 copies but 40 dollars for a pretty old VHS tape that probably has low quality is not something I...
  33. O

    Calculating the Impact: A Detailed Look at My Car Accident on Friday Night

    I was in a car accident Friday night and we both claim the other guy ran the red light. I drive a 2005 Audi A4 which is approx. 3205 lbs, I weigh 350. the other guy was in a 96 toyota corolla which weighs 2,553. I was going about 4 mph when the accident occurred, I had been sitting at a red...
  34. L

    Automotive Help Needed to understand a Car Accident

    Dear All, I was involved in a car accident. The facts of the case as follow: Location: At a side road joining into a major road. The side road slopes downwards on a 10 degree gradient to the major road. My car was the first vehicle awaiting to exit into the major road. Background of...
  35. N

    Testifying in a case involving an accident

    Homework Statement As an expert witness, you're testifying in a case involving a motorcycle accident. A motorcyclist driving in a 60km/h zone hit a stopped car on a level road. The motorcyclist was thrown from his bike and landed 39m down the road. Was he speeding? The Attempt at a...
  36. R

    Help me out please - Car accident analysis

    Help me out please -- Car accident analysis hey guys, I have a question... If car 1 weighing in at 4400lbs is traveling at 0 degree heading at 55 MPH and is impacted on the right side by car 2 weighing in at 2700 lbs from a 90 degree heading traveling at 5 mph and the departure angle of car 1...
  37. xpell

    Fallout yield from a nuclear accident at sea?

    I was reading about the nuclear accidents in early Soviet submarines and got a couple of questions, hope this is the appropiate forum to ask them. :smile: Let's assume that a submarine suffers both a hull and reactor vessel rupture (for example, as a result of an attack in wartime) while at...
  38. S

    Accident Reconstruction using Friction, Energy, Momentum, and Work

    (I believe I got this right, but it's necessary context to the next problem.) PROBLEM 1 1. Homework Statement "The police department determined that the force required to drag a 130 N (29 lb) car tire across the pavement at a constant velocity is 100 N (23 lb). Specifications from the truck’s...
  39. M

    Hudson River accident. Friction on water

    Homework Statement I am in an introductory physics course. I am an aviation student, and we have to present on something related to our major. My group decided to go with an analysis on the Hudson River incident. I am trying to figure out the force of friction the water had on the...
  40. P

    Motorcycle Accident - Coefficient of Friction issues

    Hi Everyone, I'm trying to find the initial speed of a motorcycle that was involved in an accident. The driver lost control and the bike dragged along the asphalt for some distance. I know several variables but my physics is not a strong suit to say the least. Any help would be much...
  41. J

    Will Smart Car Protect you in a High-Speed Accident?

    Good day, I'm curious about the Smart Car's commercial. It says it can withstand up to 3 tons of weight. Now, I want to know if it can protect the passengers in it if a vehicle weighing 1 ton running at 150 kph crash into it? May I know what's the formula to answer my question? Thanks in...
  42. C

    Reproduction of a Police Accident Report Physics 30 Question

    http://mail.rdcrd.ab.ca/~smolesky/Physics30/1Conservation/Consassign2.pdf [Broken] this is the link to the question, could someone please solve question one? We finished the momentum unit in physics 30 today and i would like some help on this question
  43. G

    Calculate Speed of Car in Car Accident

    Recently I have been involved in a car accident, and would like to figure out what was the speed of the other car that crashed into us. I only have two figures, the distance from the point of impact to where the car stopped and the mass (of both cars); and also, the final velocity which is 0...
  44. S

    Car Accident After Moped Impact: Seeking Advice

    im new here and found your forum after using google i have a question relateing to a car accident after getting hit by a moped as the insurance company feels that the force could not have caused any damage hopefully someone here can help as it seems a very good forum. my wife was driving her...
  45. E

    Dropping a class by accident

    I added a class before the add due date, but dropped it right after by accident (after the drop due date). Now, I received a grade R in the class, which I'm guessing means incomplete or something. The time in between which I added and dropped right after is less than like 20 seconds. What can I do?
  46. H

    Calculating Car Accident Speed: 100ft skid marks, 0.75g deceleration

    Homework Statement Investigating the scene of a car accident you measure the skid marks of one of the cars to be 100.0ft long. Assuming that the maximum deceleration on dry pavement is 0.75g, what was the minimum speed of the car(in mph) when it slammed on the brakes? Homework Equations...
  47. zoobyshoe

    Vampire Prevention or Accident?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/30/vampire-plague-victim-venice_n_1556091.html The suggestion is this brick in the mouth was an attempt to incapacitate a nachzehrer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachzehrer From the news story:
  48. Andre

    Skiing accident Prince Willem Friso

    For all the royalists, the second son of Queen Beatrix, prince Willem Friso (engineer degree) has been in a skiing accident. He was caugh by an avalange during off track skiing in Austria. His vitals are stable but he had to be reanimated and his brains may have suffered lack of oxygen for a...
  49. I

    Expert Witness Testimony: Accident Analysis

    Homework Statement You testify as an "expert witness" in a case involving an accident in which car A slid into the rear of car B, which was stopped at a red light along a road headed down a hill. You find that the slope of the hill is θ = 12.0°, that the cars were separated by distance d =...
  50. H

    Three Car Accident, Domino Effect

    My mom and I were involved in a 3 car accident. We were the middle car. The car in front of us had come to a complete stop in bumper to bumper traffic. We made a sudden stop but stopped completely. Seconds later the car from behind us hit us with great force sending us into the car in front...
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