Momentum
Collision Safety
Using impulse to design things that protect us
Do Now: Why does jumping onto a trampoline feel fine, but jumping the same height onto concrete hurts?
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The trampoline stops you slowly. You lose the same momentum either way, but stretching the stop over a longer time makes the force on your body much smaller.
Try It First
Choose a speed and protection, then press Crash! Compare the force graph with the previous trial.
Lessons
Impulse & Stopping TimeWhy a longer stop means a smaller force
Safety DevicesSeat belts, airbags, crumple zones, and helmets
Design ChallengeDesign, test, and refine an egg-drop device
Collision Safety ReviewSummary and mixed practice
NYS P-12 Science Learning Standards, Physics: HS-PS2-3 — Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.