Re:Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedal-cyclist...
by s1artibartfast on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @01:15AM
(#32575233)
This is the wrong way to think of it. At some point the mass is irrelevant. If an inelastic lead object the size of a car hits you, the energy transfers is the same as if a lead 747 hits you at the same speed.
Both objects have an overwhelming amount of energy and momentum compared to a nearly stationary 100 kg person. They'll transfer enough energy to bring the person up to their speed, likely mangling them in the process.
Trauma depends on how quickly this energy is transferred to the individual.
More to your point, both a car and a truck have more than enough energy to not be meaningfully slowed down by a pedestrian. The difference is strike location, contact area, and crumple zones to slow the transfer.
Re:Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedal-cyclist...
by vihren on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @12:26AM
(#32574977)
Its the momentum that kills you p=mV, not the kinetic energy. So I would guess that mass ia much more important.
Re:Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedal-cyclist...
by tzs on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @03:21AM
(#32575926)
A typical locomotive at 1 mph has more momentum than a Ford F-150 at 45 mph, but the latter is far more likely to kill you in collision so it doesn’t look like it is momentum that kills.
Re:Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedal-cyclist...
by Ma8ee on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @03:17AM
(#32575895)
Why would that be? Isn't it the energy spent tearing your body apart that is relevant?
Re:Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedal-cyclist...
by pif on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @08:31AM
(#32578514)
You are both wrong, It's the acceleration that kills you.
Re:Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedal-cyclist...
by ajuc on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @09:47AM
(#32579409)
Doubling the mass of the car assuming everything else (crumple zones etc.) stays the same - doubles the acceleration experienced by the pedestrian.
X_p0 = X of the pedestrian before collision
X_c0 = X of the car before collision
X_p1 = X of the pedestrian after the collision
X_c1 = X of the car after the collision
m_ = mass
v_ = velocity
a_ = acceleration
t = time
//conservation of momentum:
m_p * v_p0 + m_c * v_c0 = m_p * v_p1 + m_c * v_c1
m_p * (v_p0 - v_p1) = m_c * (v_c1 - v_c0)
v_p1 - v_p0 = m_c * (v_c0 - v_c1) / m_p
// a = delta v / t
a = (v_p1 - v_p0)/t = m_c * (v_c0 - v_c1) / (m_p * t)
Re:Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedal-cyclist...
by SketchySeaBeast on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @09:48AM
(#32579416)
Acceleration, which is caused by a transfer of energy?
Re:Effects of large vehicles on pedestrian and pedal-cyclist...
by 2rsf on Wednesday August 24, 2022 @09:29AM
(#32579187)
It is not just the mass, the design is critical as well. Check pedestrian impact tests, on regular cars pedestrians can roll over while with tall cars or SUVs they are simply splashed against it.
60 km/h car will kill you either way, 1 km/h car won't kill you either way, but somewhere in between there's a velocity range where a SUV will kill you and a compact car won't - simply because of the mass difference. I'd argue it's the velocity range in which a lot of collisions happen (especially in city traffic).