Ch+3+Sec+3+KirnumB

**Section 3**

 Investigate X3: Energy and Air Bags

 * Objective:**
 * How does an air bag protect you during an accident?


 * Hypothesis:** Respond to the objective fully.


 * In an accident, an air bag will apply more force to help your body slow down.


 * Materials:** List any materials used and draw a labeled diagram of your set-up (alternatively, include a snapshot or video).
 * Eggs
 * Meter Stick
 * Flower in a bowl
 * Box


 * Procedure:**
 * We will drop the egg 2cm higher each time when it lands on the table until it cracks
 * When dropping it into the flower, we will start at the distance it took the egg to break on the table and go up 10cm each time

// 1. Measure the length of your egg #1. Measure the mass of your egg. Record this information. // // 2. Place an egg in a ziplock bag, squeezing out all of the air in the bag before sealing. // // 3. Hold a ruler up on the table vertically. Hold the egg vertically at the 2 cm mark. (Keep the excess bag on top.) Drop it. Record your observations. // // 4. Hold the egg the same exact way at the 4-cm mark and repeat. Continue this process until the egg shell is slightly cracked. // // 5. Continue until the egg is smashed and the yolk leaks out. Measure the amount of egg still undamaged. How much of the egg is smashed? Be sure to record detailed observations. // // 6. Fill a bowl with flour and place the bowl inside of the box lid. // // 7. Measure the length of your egg #2. Measure the mass of your egg. Record this information. // // 8. Drop the egg from the smash height (Step 5). Measure the amount of egg sticking up out of the rice bed. How much of the egg is buried in the rice? Also, record your observations. // // 9. Repeat this, increasing the height in 2-cm increments until the egg is cracked, and then smashed. //
 * **.0582kg**
 * **5.5cm**
 * **1.5 cm were damaged**
 * **.0587 kg**

//**Data and observations:** Add more columns/rows as needed.//
 * **Egg #** || **Drop Height** || **Cracked or Smashed?** || **Description and Observations** || **GPE J** || **Work J** ||
 * 1 || 2cm || slightly cracked || really thin crack || .01 || .01 ||
 * 1 || 4cm || crack widened || still thin but longer || .02 || .02 ||
 * 1 || 6cm || cracked more and dented || it grew || .03 || .03 ||
 * 1 || 8 cm || dent increased slightly || cracked more || .05 || .05 ||
 * 1 || 10 cm || crack increasing || it is going up the egg || .06 || .06 ||
 * 1 || 12 cm || cracked more || yolk is coming out || .07 || .07 ||
 * 1 || 14 cm || extremely cracked || yolk is coming out || .08 || .08 ||
 * 1 || 16 cm || smushed || entire bottom is flat || .09 || .09 ||
 * 1 || 18 cm || smushed || still flat || .1 || .1 ||
 * 1 || 20 cm || cut in half || almost fully smashed || .11 || .11 ||
 * 1 || 22 cm || smashed || yolk is out || .12 || .12 ||


 * 2 . || 22 cm . || none . || The dent size is 1 cm and no crack. || **GPE J** ||
 * 2 || 32 cm || none || The dent size is now 1.5 cm. || .122 ||
 * 2 || 42 cm || none || The dent size is 1.8 cm. || .179 ||
 * 2 || 52 cm || none || The dent size is 2 cm. || .234 ||
 * 2 || 62 cm || none || The dent size is 2.5 cm. || .290 ||
 * 2 || 72 cm || none || The dent size is 3 cm. || .346 ||
 * 2 || 82 cm || none || The dent size is 3 cm. || .402 ||
 * 2 || 92 cm || none || The dent size is 3 cm again. || .458 ||
 * 2 || 102 cm || none || The dent size is 3 cm. || .513 ||
 * 2 || 200 cm || smashed || We missed the target and the egg smashed. || .569 ||


 * Calculations:** Show equation(s), numbers plugged in, and answer with correct units. Add columns in your data table to include these results.
 * What is the gravitational potential energy in each trial?
 * GPE=mgh
 * GPE= .0587*9.8*.08= .05 J
 * How much work is done in each trial?
 * W=GPE
 * How much force was used to stop the egg in each case of steps 5, 8 and 9?
 * W=F*d
 * .06=F*.1
 * .6 N =F


 * W=F*d
 * .09=F*.16
 * .5625 N =F


 * W=F*d
 * .1=.F*.18
 * 5.555 N = F
 * Questions:**
 * 1) This investigate is an analogy for a person in an automobile collision. What does the egg represent? What does the table represent? What does the flour represent?
 * 2) **The egg represents a person's head in a collision. The table shows the amount of force it takes for the egg to crack with and without the flower (aka air bag).**
 * 3) Define the terms: Kinetic Energy and Work.
 * 4) **Kinetic Energy: energy possessed by a moving body**
 * 5) **Work: the amount of force applied on an object over a distance**
 * 6) What factors determine an object's kinetic energy?
 * 7) **The objects mass and velocity**
 * 8) WHen work is done on an object, what is the effect on the object's kinetic energy?
 * 9) **Kinetic energy increases**
 * 10) How does the force needed to stop a moving object depend on the distance the force acts?
 * 11) **The farther the distance, the more forec is needed to stop the object from moving because, due to Newtons first law, that object wants to continue moving at the same speed it is traveling. Since the difference in distance affected the force of gravity, the farther away the egg was, the faster it was moving.**
 * 12) What difference does a soft landing area make on a passenger during a collision?
 * 13) **A soft landing area made it easier to stop the passenger from moving because it lessens the pressure when it compresses.**
 * 14) How does a cushion reduce the force needed to stop a passenger?
 * 15) **It lessens the force because it compresses and gradually slows the passenger down.**
 * 16) What does the law of conservation of energy have to do with this?
 * 17) **Since energy can't be created or destroyed, there is no way of getting rid of pressure but by using a cushion, the pressure is dispersed on a larger area.**


 * Conclusion:**
 * Using the law of conservation of energy, explain how an air bag can protect you during an accident. Use specific observations from this investigation to support your answers to these questions.
 * **An air bag protects you just as the flower protected the egg. It lessens the impact by applying pressure on more then one single spot. It also transfers the pressure to a larger spot, making it lessen.**
 * Explain at least 1 cause of experimental error. Be sure you describe a specific reason.
 * **You could measure the distance of the egg drop from the top of the egg instead of the bottom.**
 * How would you improve the results of this lab? (In other words, what would you change about the materials or procedure to eliminate or reduce the experimental error you describe above?)
 * **I would use another cushion other then flower; it was too difficult to measure and it made a mess.**