Car Design And Safety

Question 1

How do brakes work?

Answer 1

When you apply brakes to slow down a car work is done. Brakes reduce the kinetic energy by transferring it to heat and sound energy

Question 2

What are regenerative brakes?

Answer 2

Brakes that slow the vehicle down by putting the motor of the car into reverse and converting kinetic energy into electrical energy which is stored at chemical energy in the battery

Question 3

What are the advantages of regenerative brakes?

Answer 3

They store energy instead of wasting it

Less co2 emissions

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of regenerative brakes?

Answer 4

More expensive

Not needed on motor ways

Question 5

Why can crashes be fatal?

Answer 5

There is a big change in momentum very quickly so people inside experience a huge force / impact

Question 6

How are cars designed to try and reduce this?

Answer 6

They increase the time over which change in momentum happens which lessens the force on the passengers

Question 7

How do crumple zones lessen the impact?

Answer 7

Crumple up on impact so kinetic energy is converted unto other forms by changing cars shape increasing the impact time and decreasing force produced by change in momentum

Question 8

How do side impact bars lessen the impact?

Answer 8

Strong metal tubes fitted into car door panels which help direct kinetic energy of Crash away from passengers to areas such as crumple zones

Question 9

How do seat belts reduce the impact?

Answer 9

They stretch slightly increasing the time taken for the wearer to stop which reduces force acting in chest and some kinetic energy is absorbed by seat belt stretching

Question 10

How do air bags reduce the impact?

Answer 10

They slow you down more gradually and prevent you hitting hard surfaces in the car