Car Accident Analysis: Speed at Impact and Vehicle Specifications Revealed

AI Thread Summary
Car A was turning right while Car B, a 2012 Chevy Silverado, was stopped at a light when it was T-boned by Car C, a Nissan Sentra. The discussion highlights discrepancies in vehicle mass, with Car C's reported weight of 8549 kg being questioned as excessively high. Calculations of impact speed and force are debated, with concerns raised about the accuracy of the provided figures and the lack of proper units. The complexity of determining precise impact forces without accelerometer data is emphasized, suggesting that expert testimony would be necessary for legal proceedings. Overall, the analysis reveals significant uncertainties in the calculations and assumptions made regarding the accident.
craftylady
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Car A was turning right
Car B was stopped at stop light.
Car B with no further oncoming traffic at the time proceeded across the intersection. Halfway across the intersection Car C T-bones Car B.
CAR B is 2012 Chevy Silverado 4X4 LTZ
CAR C is approx 2002 Nissan Sentra (I believe)
When Car C impacts with CAR B, Car B rolls onto its side, causing Car B driver to be trapped until help arrives.

Car C Nissan 8549 Kg
Velocity is 5.26
Time to impact .54 seconds
Impact Force N
166547.18518518517

Car B
• Speed at impact:6.07 m/s
• or 21.85 km/h
• time until impact:0.62 s
• Energy at impact:58496.20 joules
• Mass in kg 3175

and not including the .5-.8 of road. I calculated the impact force of Car C at 155547 divided by the mass weight of car B giving Car C the rate of speed at 52.45. just need to know if this is correct or if I missed something.
 
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Do you think it is reasonable that Car B, a Chevy 4x4 pickup, has a mass of 3175 kg, and Car C, a Nissan Sentra, has a mass of 8549 kg? That's got to be the heaviest Sentra on record.
 
Also, how are you getting the impact times? Those can't be calculated from the known information, unless you have some additional knowledge...
 
craftylady said:
Car A was turning right
Car B was stopped at stop light.
Car B with no further oncoming traffic at the time proceeded across the intersection. Halfway across the intersection Car C T-bones Car B.
CAR B is 2012 Chevy Silverado 4X4 LTZ
CAR C is approx 2002 Nissan Sentra (I believe)
When Car C impacts with CAR B, Car B rolls onto its side, causing Car B driver to be trapped until help arrives.

Car C Nissan 8549 Kg
That mass seems too high
Velocity is 5.26
5.26 what? what are the units?
Time to impact .54 seconds
Impact Force N
166547.18518518517
Everything else in this problem has three significant figures, but the force has 17 sig. figs. Something is fishy here
Car B
• Speed at impact:6.07 m/s
• or 21.85 km/h
• time until impact:0.62 s
• Energy at impact:58496.20 joules
• Mass in kg 3175

and not including the .5-.8 of road.
what is .5 - .8 supposed to mean?
I calculated the impact force of Car C at 155547
again, what are the units?
divided by the mass weight
mass and weight are two different things
of car B giving Car C the rate of speed at 52.45.
Again, where are the units?
just need to know if this is correct or if I missed something.
I don't know if it's correct. How could I, given all the things listed above that you missed?
 
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This looks like yet another question about presenting evidence in a court case.
There is no suitable Physics to deal with this satisfactorily for any arbitrator.

There is one big flaw in all of this. No one can tell what the 'Force" was during the impact unless they had accelerometers fitted to the vehicles. dauto has already asked about the quoted time for the impact.
The only way to convince a judge is to hire an expensive 'Expert Witness' who could give some very broad estimated limits to the possible speeds involved. Anything you could present the judge with would carry no weight at all, I'm afraid.
 
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