Crumple Zones and Collisions

In the photo above we see a car colliding with a fixed barrier in a crash test facility.
Sensors on the crash dummies and car provide data about the forces occupants of this model of
car might expect to experience during a real collision. The data obtained from this and many
similar experiments can be used to make future cars safer.
We will simulate these experiments in the lab using a force sensor attached to a rigid barrier.

2.0

Introduction

In this lab exercise we will study collisions, using conservation of momentum and energy to
predict outcomes and then testing our predictions. Toward the end of the lab you will get to
design and build a crumple zone made of Blu-Tack.
References
Serway and Jewett, Chapters 5 and 9

Equipment Note: The tracks we use are somewhat delicate and can be damaged easily if you put excess
weight on them or lean on them. Your track should have three sets of legs, one at each end and one in
the middle, making it a bit more robust, but please be careful just the same.

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2.1

GoSoapBox

Follow along with the GoSoapBox session and write your answers in your log book.

i)

Splat!

Truck vs Fly.

Consider an inelastic collision between

a truck and a fly as shown at right:

Comparing the truck and the fly:

Q1 a)
Q1 b)
Q1 c)
Q1 d)

Which experiences the largest force? Explain.

Which experiences the largest acceleration? Explain.
Which experiences the largest change in momentum? Explain.
Which experiences the largest impulse? Explain.

ii)

Ice Rugby

The New Zealand and Australian teams are competing in a new sport called Ice Rugby!
The game is played on a completely frictionless surface.
A ball is tossed from the sidelines to an Australian player as shown below. Unfortunately the Australian
player is completely dazzled by the skill of the New Zealanders and is unable to catch the ball. It
bounces off of the Aussie in a perfectly elastic collision. Later an identical ball is tossed at identical
speed to a New Zealand player who catches the ball. The two players have identical mass and are
both initially at rest.

Q1 e) Which player has the largest recoil velocity after the collision with the ball? Explain.
Q1 f) Hard Going. Is it possible to play Rugby on a frictionless surface? Could you run? How could
you move?

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Note about uncertainties: in many of the lab exercises we complete this term a careful analysis
of uncertainties will be expected. But in this exercise uncertainty analysis is not expected.

2.2 Collisions Between Cars

Q2 a) Consider a collision between two cars of equal mass m.
One is initially at rest and the other is travelling at speed vinitial. We want to predict the post collision
velocities of each car in terms of vinitial if the collision is perfectly inelastic (the cars stick together).
How many final velocities do you have to predict? How many equations do you need? Carry out the
analysis and show your work. Suggestion: it is best to start with the general case, m1 travelling at
velocity v1I and m2 travelling at v2I, and then adapt the results to your experiment. A simple sketch
would be helpful.
Q2 b) Set up a sonar to measure the speed of the car that will be moving initially and use Velcro to
ensure an inelastic collision. Launch the moving car and find the initial and final velocities. Do the
results agree approximately with your prediction? Explain. Print or sketch the graphs and include them
in your log book.
Q3 Now consider an elastic collision between the same cars: The cars bounce apart without loss of
kinetic energy. One is initially at rest and the other is travelling at speed vinitial.
To predict the final velocity of each car if the collision is perfectly elastic, how many final velocities do
you have to determine? How many equations do you have? A demonstrator can show you a nice way
to do the algebra in the general case where the cars have different masses and different initial
velocities. You can then adapt the result to your experiment. Show your work.
Q4 You will have to collaborate with another group for this part of the experiment as you will need
two sonars connected to the data logger. Set up one sonar at each end of the track to measure the
speeds of both of the cars. Launch the moving car and find the initial and final velocities for both cars.
Do the results agree approximately with your prediction? Explain. Calculate the fraction of the kinetic
energy of the first car that is lost during the collision. Assuming friction can be ignored, this gives an
estimate of how elastic the collision is. Print or sketch your graphs and include them in your log
book.

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2.3 Collisions with a Rigid Wall

In an accident, the severity of injuries to the driver and passengers in a car will depend on, among
other factors, the maximum force applied to his/her body. We assume the driver is securely fastened
to the seat by his/her seatbelt, so the acceleration of the car and the driver are the same. Consider a
car which changes its velocity from 100 kmhr-1 to zero over a minute by applying the brakes lightly.
The passenger will experience only a small force and will certainly not be injured. On the other hand,
consider a car that changes its velocity from 100 kmhr-1 in a few milliseconds by hitting a solid wall.
The results would be disastrous! Cars will be involved in accidents, but there are things we can do to
make them safer.
Automobile manufactures expend considerable effort to design cars that protect their passengers
during a collision. Seatbelts, airbags, and crumple zones that crush during a collision are particularly
important automotive safety technologies that all have essentially the same goal: reduce the
maximum force and average force applied to your body by making the collision inelastic rather than
elastic and spreading out the collision over time. Crumple zones spread the collision over time and
dissipate the kinetic energy of the car by converting it into heat through deformation of the metal
structure. See the photo on page 1 for an example. We will make our own crumple zones and have a
competition to see who can make the best ones.

Collision
spike

Force Sensor

Rigid Barrier

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2.4

Elastic Versus Inelastic

Consider a car which collides with a wall. During the very short collision time t, the average force on
the car is related to the initial and final momentum p and t by

p final

pinitial

F t

(Equation 1)

Q5 Consider a car that collides with a wall and bounces off (a perfectly elastic collision) and another
that sticks (a perfectly inelastic collision). Which experiences the greater change in momentum? How
much greater?
Q6 If we could arrange elastic and inelastic collisions that involve the same contact time

t, how

would the average force compare?

Q7 It is very difficult to arrange the collisions so that the contact time is the same. But how should

Faverage t Compare for the two collisions even if the collision times differ? Explain.

We will now use the force meters. Disconnect both sonars and attach the force meter. Make sure the
switch on the force sensor is set to 50 N. Make sure the force meter is rigidly attached to the bracket
and that the bracket is firmly clamped to the table. It is best to quit LoggerPro and relaunch. Next you
will have to change some settings in the software. Under the experiment menu, find settings, and
configure it to take readings at the maximum rate possible with this equipment. Collisions can take
place in very little time! And then zero the force meter. You will need to zero the meter after each
collision.
Angle the track (a few degrees from horizontal) and release the car perhaps 60 cm from the force
sensor. Be very careful not to put much weight on the track or lean on it as the raised track is
not supported in the middle and can be damaged easily. We will use the Velcro dots (the
inelasticizer apparatus) to make inelastic collisions. For elastic collisions use the repelling magnet
bumper that can be attached to the force meter with blu-tack, or no bumpers at all, or if time permits,
do both.
Q8 Using the LoggerPro interface, find the total impulse for the elastic and inelastic collisions. Hint:
Calculus. Ask a demonstrator for help with finding the average force and the t. Were your predictions
correct? If not, where did your reasoning, assumptions, or technique go wrong? You can print or just
sketch your force versus time graphs.

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2.4

Crumple Zones

Q9 Now consider two cars, one rigid and the other with a deformable crumple zone. Each car runs
into a wall and sticks. How does the change in momentum compare for the rigid car and the
deformable car?
Q10 Which car slows down over a longer time and longer distance, the rigid car or the deformable
car?
Q11 Which should experience the smaller average force during the collision? If the force over the
collision is constant or varies little, which should experience the smaller maximum force?

Now the fun part:

Q12 Release your car from a known position on the ramp with no crumple zone, and record the
maximum force. We will work with maximum forces rather than average for simplicity.
Make a Blu-Tack crumple zone shaped something like the one in the photos below (next page).
Release the car as before and measure the maximum force. Note that the car should be released
with the front of the crumple zone at the same height as the front of the car in the previous experiment
without a crumple zone.
Q13 Does the crumple zone reduce the maximum force during the collision? By what factor?
Q14 If time permits, use the mass of the car plus crumple zone to find the maximum acceleration,
a better indicator of how the driver and passenger would cope in the collision. Report your result as a
multiple of g. In other words, a maximum acceleration of 5g or (5)(9.8ms-2) for example. You have
probably heard this terminology before. Astronauts in the space shuttle for example experienced a
maximum of about 3g during the course of a mission. Brief accelerations more than an order of
magnitude larger in accidents can be survivable.
Q15 Try adjusting the shape and thickness of your crumple zone to spread the collision over time as
the crumple zone crushes. You should be able to reduce the maximum acceleration by at least a
factor of several compared with the inelastic Velcro collision, perhaps more. In most years some
groups get reductions in the acceleration of close to 50, sometimes more. If you get a reduction of
more than 40 or so, let a demonstrator know. We may want to take a photo of your design. Write
comments and or draw sketches to indicate factors that seem to make the crumple zone more
effective

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HINTS: Have a look at the photos below and also watch the high-speed video of another crumple
zone collision that is on your lab computer. Neither of these crumple zones are ideal. See if you can
do better.

Crumple zone

Above: A Blu Tack crumple zone before collision.

Below: After collision a few trials later. This crumple zone did not work very well. Can you see
why?

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2.5 Magnet Mystery

Q16 In the elastic collision the magnets are set to repel.
The cars start far apart and end far apart, with zero potential energy associated with the magnets. So
the potential energy associated with pushing the repelling magnets together does not matter much.
What about flipping the magnets in one car so they attract? Now you can have an inelastic collision.
But the magnets then start far apart and end up stuck together. Where does the lost potential energy
go?
Would cars pulled together by the magnets be moving faster after an inelastic collision than cars with
the same initial speed made inelastic by Velcro? Explain.

2.7

Newtons Cradle and the Domino Effect

Q17 At the front of the room find the Newtons

Cradle demonstration apparatus as shown
below. A demonstrator will show you how it works.
Operate the apparatus and explain its operation
when one or more than one ball is released in
terms of your results for section 2.2.

2.8 Summary
Q18 Write a brief summary of your results and what you learned in this lab exercise. One or two
paragraphs will be adequate. Include a description of what properties a crumple zone will need in
order to be effective.
.

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