Why do airbags make a car safer

In a car crash the car decelerates really quickly. If there is no air bag your head continues to travel at the same speed as before until it hits the dash board and decelerates really quickly upon impact, since Force= mass x acceleration (F=ma), this results in a large force being applied to your head which is very damaging.

An airbag puts a soft material between your head and the dashbord which causes your head to decelerate over a longer time and so at a slower rate this causes the force on your head to decrease which makes injury less likely or less severe

Answered by Vedant B. Physics tutor

2187 Views

See similar Physics GCSE tutors

Related Physics GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Write the equations of motion for constant acceleration and describe each term involved. Explain how to apply these equations of motion to calculate the horizontal and vertical components of a projectile moving under the force of gravity only.


A person has a suitcase with wheels. The person pulls the suitcase with a horizontal force of 13 N for 110 m. Calculate the work done on the suitcase by the person (3 marks).


What are Newton's Laws of Motion?


A note was played on a a keyboard. The frequency of the note was 440 Hz. (a) What does a frequency of 440 Hz mean? (b) The sound waves produced by the keyboard travel at a speed of 340 m/s. Calculate the wavelength of the note.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2025

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences