Mathematical Reconstruction of a Traffic Crash

by Benjamin Covert

Submitted : Spring 2020

Conservation of Linear Momentum is especially useful in the field of traffic crash reconstruction. For my project, I was tasked with finding the impact speeds of two motor vehicles involved in a traffic crash through a mathematical concept that involved finding the approach (pre-collision) and departure (post collision) angles for both vehicles. Then using that data, along with each vehicles’ weight and post collision speed; come to a conclusion. Because this was a real life collision, I was provided, by my subject area advisor, with certain variables to the collision such as each vehicles weight and post collision speed, since my advisor had worked on the actual investigation of the traffic collision. The conclusions I drew from the results of my project confirmed the validity of the use of Conservation of Linear Momentum in the field of traffic crash reconstruction. 

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