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

AI Thread Summary
In a recent fender bender, a 4000 lb van was struck by a lighter vehicle while traveling at approximately 10 mph. The impact caused the van to pivot 180 degrees, leading to significant damage, including the loss of a tire and destruction of a yield sign. The discussion focused on estimating the speed of the other vehicle involved in the collision. However, it was concluded that determining the exact speed is impossible due to the numerous variables involved, such as vehicle construction, crash dynamics, and specific impact angles. Ultimately, the complexity of these factors makes precise calculations unfeasible.
ultron2099
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
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 with me the driver 300 lbs and an occupant 150 lbs. The other vehicle was 3400 lbs (both car weights are guesses based on wiki) and its driver about 150 lbs also. The impact was on the passenger rear tire, and the van pivoted 180 degrees on the drivers front tire strpping away the tire to grind the rim some into the pavement. The van also hit the yield sign on the other end of the intersection plowing it under.

So how fast was the lighter object moving to rotate the heavier object 180 degrees in that split second?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
We get questions of this sort fairly often and I'm sorry to have to say there's no way of answering them. Too much depends on the construction of the vehicles, the nature of the crash damage, the exact angles and times and weights, and innumerable other details.

This thread is closed.
 
  • Like
Likes berkeman

Thread '1:1 versus 2:1 Mechanical Advantage debate'

The rope is tied into the person (the load of 200 pounds) and the rope goes up from the person to a fixed pulley and back down to his hands. He hauls the rope to suspend himself in the air. What is the mechanical advantage of the system? The person will indeed only have to lift half of his body weight (roughly 100 pounds) because he now lessened the load by that same amount. This APPEARS to be a 2:1 because he can hold himself with half the force, but my question is: is that mechanical...
View full post »

Thread 'Average velocity as a weighted mean'

Hello everyone, Consider the problem in which a car is told to travel at 30 km/h for L kilometers and then at 60 km/h for another L kilometers. Next, you are asked to determine the average speed. My question is: although we know that the average speed in this case is the harmonic mean of the two speeds, is it also possible to state that the average speed over this 2L-kilometer stretch can be obtained as a weighted average of the two speeds? Best regards, DaTario
View full post »

Thread 'Newton's first law?'

Some physics textbook writer told me that Newton's first law applies only on bodies that feel no interactions at all. He said that if a body is on rest or moves in constant velocity, there is no external force acting on it. But I have heard another form of the law that says the net force acting on a body must be zero. This means there is interactions involved after all. So which one is correct?
View full post »

Similar threads

Car collision skid mark physics
Replies
6
Views
9K
Using physics to prove my innocence
Replies
1
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top