Re: [Phys-L] accident reconstruction

[Anthony Lapinski <alapinski@pds.org>]

Great idea! I don't think skid marks happen much due to anti-lock brakes in
all cars. You could easily use a bike, lock the wheels, and measure the
skid marks. Not good for the tires, but you only need to do it a few times.

You could push someone on a skateboard, then let them coast to a stop. No
skid marks, but you can measure the stopping distance to predict the
initial speed when the "braking" began.

You could do a similar activity with Hot Wheels cars. Use a track ramp, let
the car go, and measure the stopping distance along the horizontal tracks.

Same idea using a curling stone (or hockey puck) on an ice rink.



On Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 7:18 PM jim cibulka via Phys-l <
phys-l@mail.phys-l.org> wrote:

> Hi all!
>
> I have to teach a group of middle schoolers about crime scene
> investigations and I thought an accident reconstruction using skid marks to
> determine initial velocity might be fun.
>
> The kids can learn about forces, coefficients of friction (grippiness in my
> lingo) and acceleration.
>
> Does anyone have a good lab written up for this?  I can always simplify it
> for my young but incredibly intelligent kids.
>
> Thanks for any help!
>
> Jim Cibulka
> North Kirkwood Middle School
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