Page 110 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!

FORCES OF ENERGY Heat energy is released from the crash as
Energy and forces go hand in hand a converted form of the kinetic energy that
was driving the car forward. Think how hot
in making things move and stop. your bicycle brakes feel when you
Movement (kinetic) energy is what stop suddenly.
makes a car go. If the car should
then crash into a concrete wall,
the wall acts as an opposing force
on the car. If the wall’s mass is
bigger than the car’s mass and
speed, it will bring the car to
a crashing halt. But the kinetic
energy doesn’t just disappear when
the car stops; it turns into several
other forms…

The force with which the wall “hits” Bending and crushing parts of the car
the car is equal to that with which
the car hits the wall to bring the car body use up some of the kinetic energy,
and more energy is used in creating
to a standstill. In a crash with
a stationary object, a car’s speed the sound of the crash.
drops to zero in under a second.

CRASH COURSE

Good morning, class. Today’s lesson
looks at how cars withstand impact
CRuMPLE ZONE
and keep passengers safe. It’s been
more than 100 years since the first
car-accident casualty. Since then,
an estimated 20 million people have died in
car-related incidents. As a crash-test dummy,
I know all about bumpy rides.
Buckle up!

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(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.