it’s time to race!!!

It’s Time to Race!!!Egg Crash Test Cars

Students will understand the principles of experimental design and how Newton’s Laws apply to crash tests.

Learning Goal

Your crash test dummy, Egg-Man, needs to survive a high-speed crash into the wall. You must design and create a race car that will allow him to survive the collision and roll away unscathed.

The Problem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u49JdRXu_mQ

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Crashworthiness - how well a vehicle can protect its occupant in a crash. Note that this does not mean the car itself needs to remain undamaged after a crash.

Things to think about

Resilience - how much energy (impact) an object can absorb

Things to think about

Mass - how much weight something has. The more mass, the faster the car will collect kinetic energy (speed) as it rolls downhill.

Things to think about

Momentum - the force that keeps an object in motion. Objects with more mass have more momentum. In other words, a heavy car moving at the same speed as a light car will be much harder to stop. Heavy cars will quickly accumulate momentum which results in higher speeds, but also greater impact

Things to think about

Force: How do Newton’s law relate to to car crashes?

Things to think about

Like a real car, the occupant (egg) must be able to easily enter and exit the car. Your egg may not be permanently incased inside the car.

You must submit a design before receiving your construction materials

Your designed must be tested and approved with a plastic egg before Egg-Man will enter your vehicle.

Restrictions