In an Automobile Collision, How Does an Airbag Lessen the Blow

question 2

Multiple Choice

In an automobile collision, how does an airbag lessen the blow to the passenger? Assume as a result of the collision, the passenger stops.

• A) The airbag decreases the momentum change of the passenger in the collision.
• B) During the collision, the force from the airbag is greater than the force from the windshield or dashboard, so the passenger cannot hit the hard objects.
• C) The stopping impulse is the same for either the hard objects or the airbag. Unlike the windshield or dashboard, the airbag gives some, increasing the time for the slowing process and thus decreasing the average force on the passenger.
• D) The airbag is there to ensure the seatbelt holds.

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Definitions:

Factor Of Production

Inputs employed in the production of goods and services, typically classified as land, labor, capital, and occasionally entrepreneurship.

Average Product

The output per unit of input, such as labor or capital, used in the production process.

Marginal Productivity Theory

A principle in economics that suggests that the addition of a unit of labor or capital leads to a change in output, essentially quantifying the extra output produced by adding one more unit of a resource.

Equilibrium Value

The price and quantity at which the supply of an item equals the demand for that item, achieving a balance in the market.