shareciteimprove this answer
edited Dec 1 '12 at 2:32
answered Dec 1 '12 at 0:44
Mark Eichenlaub
30.2k574146
1
I think the idea here is to get at the fundamental physics concepts, not whether or not hitting a car or a wall is worse. For that reason, I don't think your second point is at all convincing, and it is the very reason why I originally thought the answer would be the same (and why I think most people would). For the second proposition, and that may very well have been the original question, I think that one is most certainly te cars. Using the same energy calculations, there is twice as much energy that needs to be dissipated for the cars colliding, so I think the cars are clearly worse there. – smaccoun Dec 1 '12 at 1:15
I don't know what you're talking about because phrases like "second such-and-such" are ambiguous; I don't know how you're counting. Please rephrase to say what specific concepts you are trying to refer to. – Mark Eichenlaub Dec 1 '12 at 1:28
By second proposition, I meant your rephrased version of the problem (your 3rd paragraph, which is a different problem) where the 2 cars colliding are each going a 100, and the second scenario the car is going 100 and crashes into the wall. For an analysis of that, I would say the two cars colliding is worse, because the total energy is twice that of a single car going 100 and crashing into the car. – smaccoun Dec 1 '12 at 1:37
I thin your third paragraph, where you use reference frames, is possibly the misconception that this problem is getting at. I originally thought that too, and it is true that relative to the other car the first car is going 100mph. This is why I had to revert to an energy argument to see a difference. You could just as easily make the problem be only walls crashing at each other, or only cars crashing at each other. Again, I'm not sure about this, but my suspicion is that the reference frame argument isn't sufficient in its own right. But, I posted it on here to see some other perspectives
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
– smaccoun Dec 1 '12 at 1:40
1
Sorry man, in my 2nd comment I meant your 4th paragraph, LOL. Whoo, I need to learn how to count – smaccoun Dec 1 '12 at 1:46
show 4 more comments
up vote
3
down vote
I think that it makes sense to move away from the specific walls and cars and consider simply an inelastic collision on of two masses, m1 and m2. Otherwise we get stuck in the details.
When two bodies collide, the devastating effect in collision depends only on their relative velocity v1−v2. Kinetic energy, which has the destructive effect is equal to
12m1m2m1+m2(v1−v2)2
The rest of the kinetic energy is associated with the movement of the center of mass of the system. This energy in the collision does not change, and has no effect of destruction.
In given case, if faced two identical cars moving toward each other with one and the same velocity v the energy of destruction is
12mmm+m(v+v)2=mv2
Now, consider the case where a car collides with a massive barrier at speed 2v.In this case m1=m, v1=2v, m2=∞, v2=0
The energy of destruction:
12m(2v)2=2mv2
I.e. the latter case is much more dangerous.
shareciteimprove this answer
edited Dec 1 '12 at 9:45
answered Dec 1 '12 at 9:24
Martin Gales
1,3891131
add a comment
up vote
2
down vote
The most straightforward way to see how different the two scenarios are is to:
(1) consider two cars crashing into each other from a reference frame in which one of the cars is stationary and the other has a speed of 100mph
(2) consider the one car crashing into the wall with a speed of 100mph.
Assuming the wall is substantial enough that its mass and physical strength far exceeds that of the stationary car in (1), it's clear that the two scenarios significantly differ.
In (2), the car crashes into a stationary and effectively immovable, indestructible object at 100mph while in (1), the moving car crashes, at 100mph, into a stationary but otherwise identical object that importantly, can both move and deform.
shareciteimprove this answer
answered Dec 1 '12 at 1:24
Alfred Centauri
32k22384
Please see my edit. Do you think it would be the same if it was just walls crashing into walls, or just cars crashing into cars? Is my energy argument incorrect? Good points otherwise, but I don't think that's what the question is getting at. – smaccoun Dec 1 '12 at 1:50
@smaccoun, the total KE of the system is a minimum in the COM reference frame. Consider, for example, the frame in which the car is stationary and the wall is moving at 100mph. The KE in that frame is enormously larger than in the frame in which the wall is stationary. Yet, the damage to the car (and perhaps the wall) does not depend on the reference frame. Your argument cannot depend on just the KE before the crash. – Alfred Centauri Dec 1 '12 at 1:59
add a comment
up vote
1
down vote
Damage should be the same if two cars colliding at 50mph and if a car travelling (50∗2√) mph crashes into a wall.
The energy of destruction is an internal energy so:
First case
Equation of energy conservation
mv22+mv22=T
where T - internal energy, m - car mass
so energy of destruction in first case:
T=mv2
Second case
Equation of energy conservation
m(v2√)22=(m+M)u22+T
where T - internal energy, m - car mass, M - wall mass
Equation of momentum conservation
mv2√=(m+M)u
so internal energy T=m(v2√)22(1−mm+M)
M>>m so energy of destruction in second case:
T≈mv2
shareciteimprove this answer
answered Dec 1 '12 at 11:12
voix
1,3761921
The calculations are correct but they solve the problem for the total energy of the system. If you are only interested in the damage caused on one car (because in the second case there is no "other car"), the same calculations show that to obtain the same damage (=change in internal energy=deformation+heat) you need to have the same speed v (again considering the wall very massive, M>>m so that u≈0). – Marco Aita Dec 1 '12 at 19:08
@Marco Aita, you are not right. Imagine a car standing before the wall, so damage will be equal for two cars in the second case. – voix Dec 2 '12 at 14:38
In the fist case each car dissipates 12mv2. In the case of an impact of a car with a wall of a very large (infinite) mass, the final speed is zero and therefore the car dissipates again an energy of 12mv2. If all this energy goes into deformation of the car you will get the same damage to the car as in the first case. The problem is that we can't really tell how much of the dissipated energy goes into deforming the car, so my reasoning is partial.. ..but I don't understand your point with the car in front of the wall, can you elaborate? – Marco Aita Dec 3 '12 at 0:10
@Marco Aita, if in the second case we put another car in front of the wall we will get the same damage to the car as in the first case. – voix Dec 3 '12 at 4:54
..I think we are talking about different things.. Anyway, the part with the wall is practically unsolvable unless we specify more about the wall characteristics.. Imagine the difference in hitting a massive solid steel wall and an equally massive marshmallow wall..
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
. It all depends on how much energy the wall absorbs.. – Marco Aita Dec 3 '12 at 13:09
show 4 more comments
protected by Qmechanic
![Diamond suit :diamonds: ♦](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/joypixels/emoji-assets@5.0/png/64/2666.png)
Mar 21 '13 at 8:40
Thank you for your interest in this question. Because it has attracted low-quality answers, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site.
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged newtonian-mechanics energy kinematics collision or ask your own question.
Asked
2 Years Ago
Viewed
36931 Times
Active
2 Years Ago
100 People Chatting
The h Bar
2 hours ago - Slereah
Slereah: 2 hours agoSecret: 19 hours agoyuggib: 19 hours agoMy Other Head: 21 hours agoArtOfCode: yesterdaymorphic: May 8 at 6:24Johan Larsson: Feb 5 at 8:32
The Fun Physics
8 votes · comment · stats
Get the weekly newsletter!
Top questions and answers
Important announcements
Unanswered questions
Sign up for the newsletter
see an example newsletter
Linked
2 Is a collision with an immovable object equal to a head-on collision?
0 If two objects collide, will the collision force be twice as big as the original force?
3 Classical car collision
2 Train crash: are these situations alike?
2 Shouldn't the change in kinetic energy be more in a moving elevator from a stationary frame of reference?
0 Is two cars colliding at 25 mph the same as one car colliding into a wall at 50 mph in reference to injuries?
Related