How does an airbag protect you?
In severe accidents, this can cause your head to slam into the windshield or steering wheel. To prevent this from happening, airbags are used to slow down the momentum of your head. As your head hits the airbag, the nylon bag deflates so that your head does not end up bouncing back into the seat.
How does an airbag inflate?
The answer would be found in a fascinating chemical called sodium azide, NaN3. When this substance is ignited by a spark it releases nitrogen gas which can instantly inflate an airbag. An airbag is designed to release some of the gas just after it deploys to help cushion the impact against the body.
How do airbags work so fast?
Current is passed through a heating element, which in turn ignites an explosive (a chemical explosive, to be more specific). A large amount of harmless gas instantly fills the nylon bag installed behind the steering wheel as the explosive burns.
At what speed are airbags useless?
Airbag sensors measure acceleration (g-force) to determine when to deploy. Roughly speaking, in a full on, car-to-car crash, the closing speed needs to be over 45km/h (or 28mph) for the computer to fire the airbag. Most production cars however, will struggle to reach 15mph in reverse gear.
At what speed will airbags deploy?
Frontal air bags are generally designed to deploy in “moderate to severe” frontal or near-frontal crashes, which are defined as crashes that are equivalent to hitting a solid, fixed barrier at 8 to 14 mph or higher. (This would be equivalent to striking a parked car of similar size at about 16 to 28 mph or higher.)
Do airbags deploy when rear ended?
Most air bags are designed to protect the passengers during head-on collisions and are therefore not meant to deploy during rear-end accidents. However, because of the impact dynamics of crashes, air bags rarely activate in rear-end collisions, according to online car resource AA1Car.
What’s inside an airbag?
The airbag itself is typically made of nylon. Either nitrogen or argon gas is used to inflate an airbag. Most of this residue is talcum powder that is used as a lubricant to help the airbag deploy smoothly. However, a minute amount of sodium hydroxide, an irritant, may also be present.
At what force do airbags deploy?
Typically, a front airbag will deploy for unbelted occupants when the crash is the equivalent of an impact into a rigid wall at 10-12 mph. Most airbags will deploy at a higher threshold — about 16 mph — for belted occupants because the belts alone are likely to provide adequate protection up to these moderate speeds.
Can an airbag be reused after a crash?
The technology used in today’s airbags is the primary reason they cannot be reused after an accident. Sodium azide and potassium nitrate react to form nitrogen gas, which is responsible for inflating the airbags quickly. Because these compounds are all used up after the airbag deploys, you can’t reuse the same bags.
What are airbags and how do they work?
How airbags work When a car hits something, it starts to decelerate (lose speed) very rapidly. An accelerometer (electronic chip that measures acceleration or force) detects the change of speed. If the deceleration is great enough, the accelerometer triggers the airbag circuit.
How to tell if your vehicle airbags work?
But you can check easily if your vehicle has airbags and if they are in the right working order. There is an airbag indicator light on the dashboard. To see it, simply turn the ignition key to the first position, and pause there. This is the indicator light test position. You should see all the indicator lights turn on, including the airbag light.
How are airbags supposed to work?
The airbag system contains a sensor calls MEMS accelerometer, a small circuit with intergrated mechanical elements. These microscopic elements will capture and recognize sudden deceleration, then send a signal to trigger the airbag. In United States, the minimum speed for airbag deployment is 23 km/h (14 mph).
What causes an airbag to deploy?
Airbags deploy when a moderate to severe crash impact triggers the electrical control mechanism that inflates the bags. More advanced airbag computer systems use crash sensors, seat belt sensors, weight sensors in seats and car speed to determine exactly when to deploy.