======Crash Test Dummy======


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**Alternative titles:** Investigating Inertia
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  -Gather materials: one toy car, Play-Doh (to make a small figure), stack of books or a box, tape, a pencil (to act as a wall), a ruler, and a ramp or piece of cardboard.  
  -Build your ramp by propping one end on a stack of books and securing it with tape.  
  -Measure about 10 inches from the bottom of the ramp and tape the pencil across the surface—this is your “brick wall” or collision point.  
  -Shape a small Play-Doh figure (about 1/2 inch tall) to act as your crash test dummy.
  -Attach the figure to the hood of the toy car so that it sticks but can come off easily.
  -Release the car from the top of the ramp and observe what happens when it collides with the pencil.  
  -Discuss the results: the car stops suddenly, but the figure continues moving forward due to inertia.  
  -Repeat the test, this time taping the figure securely to the car with a “seatbelt.”  
  -Observe and discuss how the seatbelt prevents the figure from flying off.  
  -Encourage students to modify the setup—change ramp height, collision distance, or dummy size to test how these affect the results.  




====Links==== 
📄 Hot Wheels Crash Test Dummy - Stay-at-Home Science: [[https://stayathomescience.com/2017/03/24/hot-wheels-crash-test-dummy-part-i-inertia/]]\\


====Variations====
  *Try using different toy cars or slopes to observe how speed affects the crash.  
  *Replace the Play-Doh dummy with a small figure made from different materials to see if weight changes the outcome.  
  *Measure how far the figure travels when unbelted and compare distances under different conditions.  
  *Use video recording to observe motion in slow motion for analysis.



====Safety Precautions====
  *Conduct the experiment on a flat, stable surface.  
  *Ensure the ramp is secure and will not collapse during use.  
  *Keep small materials away from very young children to avoid choking hazards.  
  *Do not push or throw objects - only release them gently down the ramp.




====Questions to Consider====
  *What happens to the figure when the car suddenly stops? (The figure keeps moving forward due to inertia.)  
  *What does this experiment show about why seatbelts are important? (Seatbelts provide the force needed to stop your body’s motion safely.)  
  *What law of motion does this demonstrate? (Newton’s First Law of Motion – the Law of Inertia.)  
  *How does changing the ramp height affect the figure’s motion? (A steeper ramp increases the car’s speed, so the figure travels farther.)  
  *What other real-world examples of inertia can you think of? (Passengers lurching forward when a car stops suddenly, or objects sliding on ice.)