Car Crash Physics Project: Whiplash & Brain Injury Risk

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a physics project focused on the dynamics of whiplash and brain injury risk during a car crash scenario involving a minivan and a truck. The original poster is investigating the acceleration of the minivan after being struck and its implications on the forces experienced by passengers.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to calculate the force applied to the minivan and the resulting acceleration, while also seeking to incorporate angular kinematics into their analysis. Participants question the role of momentum and impulse in the context of the crash and explore the effects of seatbelt use on passenger movement during the collision.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the original poster's questions, offering insights into the mechanics of the crash and the physiological effects on passengers. There is a focus on understanding the physical principles at play, particularly regarding the motion of the body and head during the impact.

Contextual Notes

There is mention of a requirement for the project to focus more on the physics behind whiplash, indicating a need for clarity in the application of concepts such as momentum and impulse. The original poster is also encouraged to consider the masses of the vehicles involved in their calculations.

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Okay so I have to do a project that examines whiplash and brain injury in physics. My scenario is a minivan full of 7 people of various masses. This van is at rest and gets struck from behind by a truck going 75 mph. What is a reasonable acceleration for the van after it gets struck? I'm trying to find the force applied on the car, so I can calculate the amount of g's each person is feeling and determine how susceptible they are to concussions (10-50 g's).

Also if anyone knows how I could incorporate angular kinematics, that'd be great.
 
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Are you familiar with momentum and impulse?
 
AlephNumbers said:
Are you familiar with momentum and impulse?
Yes, I used momentum and impulse in my draft and was told to redo my project because it wasn't focused enough on the physics behind whiplash :(
 
Okay. Think about the person in the car. If they are wearing a seatbelt, what happens when they get hit?
 
AlephNumbers said:
Okay. Think about the person in the car. If they are wearing a seatbelt, what happens when they get hit?
Their body/head jolts forward and backward?
 
Yes, but it is important to specify that their head and neck rotate due to the torque exerted at somewhere around the base of the neck by the seatbelt.
 
If it were simply a linear motion then their heads would have to pop off their bodies and fly until they came into contact with something else. Surely you can see how absurd that would be?
 
AlephNumbers said:
If it were simply a linear motion then their heads would have to pop off their bodies and fly until they came into contact with something else. Surely you can see how absurd that would be?
Yeah I get that, I'm just trying to figure out what a reasonable acceleration is for the car that gets hit
 
Look up values for the mass of a truck and the mass of a minivan.
 

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