Car design and safety

Question 1

what are regenerative brakes?

Answer 1

Regenerative brakes use the system that drives the vehicle to do the majority of the work, rather than converting the kinetic energy into heat energy t puts the vehicles motor into reverse, with the motor running backwards the wheels are slowed

Question 2

what are crumple zones and how do they work?

Answer 2

Crumple zones are at the front and back of the car and crumple upon impact, it causes the cars kinetic energy to be changed into something else to convert the cars shape. Crumple zones increase the impact time, decreasing the force produced by the change in momentum

Question 3

what are side impact bars and how do they work?

Answer 3

Side impact bars are strong metal tubes fitted into car door panels. They help direct the kinetic energy of the crash away from the passengers to other areas of the car, such as the crumple zones

Question 4

what are seatbelts and how do they work?

Answer 4

Seatbelts strap the passenger into the seat, they stretch slightly to increase the time taken for the wearer to stop. This reduces the forces acting on the chest. Some of the kinetic energy of the wearer is absorbed by the seatbelt stretching

Question 5

what are airbags and how do they work?

Answer 5

Air bags are held inside the steering wheel and are released during a collision, they are used to slow a passenger more gradually and prevent you from hitting hard surfaces inside the car