Grades 9-12

Collision repair, crumple zones, Newton’s laws

Teacher Resources

Crash Course is an activity developed by Learning Undefeated in partnership with Caliber Collision to help students explore the physics of collisions and start conversations about collision repair careers.

Crash zones, also called crumple zones, are structural safety features that were introduced in automobiles around the 1960s by Mercedes-Benz. Originally meant for head-on collisions, these zones are now found in all parts car. Due to inertia (Newton’s first law of motion), drivers are at significant risk of injury because their body continues to move forward at their previous speed before the impact of a collision. Utilizing Newton’s second law, crash zones mitigate the amount of force imparted to the driver by increasing the time over which the velocity decreases.  These crumple zones also help to limit the deformation of the car’s frame while keeping the passenger cabin intact.  When combined with other safety features, like seatbelts and airbags, the likelihood of the occupants surviving in an automobile crash increases significantly. Although crash zones end up leaving more physical damage to the vehicle in a crash, the safety it provides far outweighs the cost to repair.

In this lab, students will use an online model to learn about the importance of crumple zone length and rigidity and will them apply what they learn to real materials tested with a force plate.

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to

  • Students will use a model to determine how crumple zone length and rigidity affect passenger safety
  • Students will use force plates to collect data about the force reduction offered by different materials
Standards Alignments + Connections

Next Generation Science Standards Connections

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.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Science Connections

PHY.4D: calculate the effect of forces on objects, including the law of inertia, the relationship between force and acceleration, and the nature of force pairs between objects using methods, including free-body force diagrams

Activities to Gather Evidence

Pre-Laboratory Engagement

Pre-Laboratory Engagement

Have students read the following articles or watch the provided videos and discuss how cars have changed over the years.

IIHS crash test

Why Tesla’s Model 3 Received A 5-Star Crash Test Rating

Crumple zones: Physics Today

The Physics of Why Modern Cars Are So Much Safer

Conversation Starters:

  • How are cars today different from cars from the 1950s/60s?
  • Why are cars built with crumple zones?
  • What other safety features do we find in modern cars?

Activity

Download Student Handout

Laboratory Activity

Crash zones, also called crumple zones, are structural safety features that were introduced in automobiles around the 1960s by Mercedes-Benz. Originally meant for head-on collisions, these zones are now found in all parts car. Due to inertia (Newton’s first law of motion), drivers are at a significant risk to injury because their body continues to move forward at their previous speed before the impact of a collision. Utilizing Newton’s second law, crash zones mitigate the amount of force imparted to the driver by increasing the time over which the velocity decreases.  These crumple zones also help to limit the deformation to the car’s frame while keeping the passenger cabin intact.  When combined with other safety features, like seatbelts and airbags, the likelihood of the occupants surviving in an automobile crash increases significantly. Although crash zones end up leaving more physical damage to the vehicle in a crash, the safety it provides far outweighs the cost to repair.

 

While it often comes off as “cheap”, the increase in the use of plastics has helped increase vehicle safety. Not only by understanding that plastic composites are able to absorb more energy, they also reduce the weight of the vehicle, and thus reducing the amount of mass involved in a crash. In high speed racing events like Formula One and NASCAR there has been a shift to using carbon-fiber with zylon covers, which is 1.5 times stronger than Kevlar, the material found in bulletproof vests and body armor. Although very flexible, carbon-fiber is also very brittle and has a shatter point. This is why crashes in these high speed racing events look bad, but often times the driver has minimal or no injuries due to the materials used to help reduce the impulse.

Post-Laboratory Extension

Post-Laboratory Extension

  • Explain how Newton’s Second Law and collision impulse are related.
  • Design a new bumper (for a small toy car) with provided materials that will best protect a passenger.
  • Explore plastic dent repair with dented plastic and heat guns/ hair dryers.

Additional Resources

Explore Learning’s Crumple Zones model

Includes student exploration sheets and teacher guides for the model adapted for use in our activity