A 60 kg person is in a head-on collision. The car's speed at impact is 15 m/s . Estimate the net force on the person if he or she is wearing a seat belt and if the air bag deploys.

Complete question:

Seat belts and air bags save lives by reducing the forces exerted on the driver and passengers in an automobile collision. Cars are designed with a "crumple zone" in the front of the car. In the event of an impact, the passenger compartment decelerates over a distance of about 1 m as the front of the car crumples. An occupant restrained by seat belts and air bags decelerates with the car. In contrast,  a passenger not wearing a seat belt or using an air bag decelerates over a distance of 5mm.

(a) A 60 kg person is in a head-on collision. The car's speed at impact is 15 m/s . Estimate the net force on the person if he or she is wearing a seat belt and if the air bag deploys.

The net force on the person as the air bad deploys is -6750 N backwards

Explanation:

Given;

mass of the passenger, m = 60 kg

velocity of the car at impact, u = 15 m/s

final velocity of the car after impact, v = 0

distance moved as the front of the car crumples, s = 1 m

First, calculate the acceleration of the car at impact;

v² = u² + 2as

0² = 15² + (2 x 1)a

0 = 225 + 2a

2a = -225

a = -225 / 2

a = -112.5 m/s²

The net force on the person;

F = ma

F = 60 (-112.5)

F = -6750 N backwards

Therefore, the net force on the person as the air bad deploys is -6750 N backwards