Car crash collision calculation

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the effects of a car collision with a pole, specifically examining how different types of poles (wood vs. metal, hollow vs. solid) respond to impact. Key concepts include impulse loading and shear stress, which determine whether the pole will shear, bend, or dent upon impact. The user seeks to find the average critical shear force that a standard steel pole can withstand, emphasizing the importance of understanding material properties in collision scenarios.

PREREQUISITES
  • Impulse loading concepts
  • Shear stress calculations
  • Material properties of steel and wood
  • Physics of collisions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research average critical shear strength of steel poles
  • Study the physics of impulse and momentum
  • Explore the mechanics of material deformation
  • Investigate the differences between solid and hollow structural materials
USEFUL FOR

Students in physics, engineers working on collision analysis, and anyone interested in the mechanics of material failure during impacts.

AFG34
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i am doing a physics project where you have to draw a situation and explain as much physics as possible. So me and my friends anre doing a car crash, actually a car hitting a pole. And we want to know a formula to calculate how much the pole will be pushed back/dented or if broken from base.
 
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What kind of pole - wood or metal, hollow or solid.

One has to understant impulse loading.

The poll will shear if the shear stress exceeds the critical shear. Otherwise it could bend if sufficient moment is applied. It could dent (plastically deform), or the car's frame and body could absorb most of the energy.

See this for some ideas - http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/impulse.html
 
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