A student investigates the effect of a crumple zone on the force exerted during a collision.The student has one trolley with a spring at the front and another trolley without a spring.After a trolley is released, it accelerates down a slope and bounces off a rigid wall.The speed of a trolley can be measured just before a collision with the wall and just after a collision with the wall.The silver foils make contact with each other during the collision, so the time they are in contact can be read from the millisecond timer.Explain how the student could investigate the effect of a crumple zone on the average force exerted during the collision.Your explanation should include, how to determine the force (you may wish to refer to an equation from the list of equations at the end of this paper),how the effect of crumple zones may be shown in the investigation and precautions that may be necessary to achieve accurate results – 8001

One thought on “A student investigates the effect of a crumple zone on the force exerted during a collision.The student has one trolley with a spring at the front and another trolley without a spring.After a trolley is released, it accelerates down a slope and bounces off a rigid wall.The speed of a trolley can be measured just before a collision with the wall and just after a collision with the wall.The silver foils make contact with each other during the collision, so the time they are in contact can be read from the millisecond timer.Explain how the student could investigate the effect of a crumple zone on the average force exerted during the collision.Your explanation should include, how to determine the force (you may wish to refer to an equation from the list of equations at the end of this paper),how the effect of crumple zones may be shown in the investigation and precautions that may be necessary to achieve accurate results – 8001”

1. Force = (mv – mu) ÷ t

   Where:

   m is the mass of the trolley

   v is the final velocity after the collision

   u is the velocity before the collision

   t is the contact time during the collision

   we can measure the speed of the trolley just before and just after hitting the wall using sensors or a timer. The contact time can be measured using the silver foils connected to the millisecond timer.

   To show the effect of the crumple zone,

   Use two trolleys, one with a spring (crumple zone) and one without

   Repeat the experiment with each trolley

   Compare the contact times and calculated forces

   The trolley with the spring should have a longer contact time and therefore a smaller average force, showing that the crumple zone reduces the impact force.

   Some precautions to get accurate results:

   Use the same slope angle and make sure the trolley is released from the same height each time

   Don’t push the trolley, just let it roll

   Repeat the experiment and take an average of the results

   Make sure all equipment is working and timings are recorded carefully

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