Solved: CP BIO Whiplash Injuries. When a car is hit from

Chapter 6, Problem 69P

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QUESTION:

Problem 69P

CP BIO Whiplash Injuries. When a car is hit from behind, its passengers undergo sudden forward acceleration, which can cause a severe neck injury known as whiplash. During normal acceleration, the neck muscles play a large role in accelerating the head so that the bones are not injured. But during a very sudden acceleration, the muscles do not react immediately because they are flexible; most of the accelerating force is provided by the neck bones. Experiments have shown that these bones will fracture if they absorb more than 8.0 J of energy. (a) If a car waiting at a stoplight is rear-ended in a collision that lasts for 10.0 ms, what is the greatest speed this car and its driver can reach without breaking neck bones if the driver’s head has a mass of 5.0 kg (which is about right for a 70-kg person)? Express your answer in m/s and in mi/h. (b) What is the acceleration of the passengers during the collision in part (a), and how large a force is acting to accelerate their heads? Express the acceleration in m/s2 and in g’s.

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QUESTION:

Problem 69P

CP BIO Whiplash Injuries. When a car is hit from behind, its passengers undergo sudden forward acceleration, which can cause a severe neck injury known as whiplash. During normal acceleration, the neck muscles play a large role in accelerating the head so that the bones are not injured. But during a very sudden acceleration, the muscles do not react immediately because they are flexible; most of the accelerating force is provided by the neck bones. Experiments have shown that these bones will fracture if they absorb more than 8.0 J of energy. (a) If a car waiting at a stoplight is rear-ended in a collision that lasts for 10.0 ms, what is the greatest speed this car and its driver can reach without breaking neck bones if the driver’s head has a mass of 5.0 kg (which is about right for a 70-kg person)? Express your answer in m/s and in mi/h. (b) What is the acceleration of the passengers during the collision in part (a), and how large a force is acting to accelerate their heads? Express the acceleration in m/s2 and in g’s.

ANSWER:

Solution 69P

Step 1:

a) The initial velocity of the person, u = 0 m/s

The final velocity of the person, v = ?

Mass of the head, m = 5 kg

Maximum energy with which the bones can withstand, E = 8.0 J

Therefore, we can write, the change in Kinetic energy during the collision, ΔKE = 8.0 J

That is, ½ mv2 - ½ mu2 = 8.0 J

Or, ½ mv2 - 0 = 8.0 J

v2 = 2 × 8.0 J / m = 16 J / 5 kg = 3.2 m2/s2

Taking square roots on both sides, v = 1.79 m/s

1 mile = 1609.34 m

Therefore, 1 m = 1/1609.34 miles

1 hour = 3600 s

1 s = 1/3600 h

Changing the units, v = 1.79 {(1/1609.34 )/(1/3600)} mi/hr

v = 1.79 (3600/1609.34) mi/hr = 1.79 × 2.24 mi/hr = 4 mi/hr

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