Surviving a Sudden Stop: Calculating Airbag Distance

[physicsgirlie26]

The human body can survive a negative acceleration trauma incident (sudden stop) if the magnitude of the acceleration is less than 250m/s^2 .

If you are in an automobile accident with an initial speed of 115km/h and are stopped by an airbag that inflates from the dashboard, over what distance must the airbag stop you for you to survive the crash?

I am guessing you would use the distance formula of vintialt+1/2at^2?


Please help me!
thank you!

 

[bel]

This is basically the same question as the one here, https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=183667

hope this helps.

 

[bob1182006]

Yes you will be using that distance formula but you don't have a time.

So first you need to find the time in which it takes for you to stop.

Which formula would you use? You're given initial velocity, acceleration. and you can guess what the final velocity will be.

Also this problem won't be solved by a straight answer like distance = 3m. What type of answer does it require? (hint: what words are used that hint to a different type of answer?)

 

[rocomath]

Univ. Physics book? lol, i did that prob last week! i'll c u around for sure.

here's my hint, you will need to plug 1 equation into another to get rid of time.