Explain how an airbag in an automobile may help to protect a passenger from serious injury in case of a collision.

In a collision, the momentum of the passenger will decrease so quickly to zero due to the large amount of force exerted on the body. The force is exerted only during the collision and it varies with time. Force is zero before and after the collision. Due to the presence of airbag in an automobile, impact time will be high and this will reduce the amount of force acting on the passenger’s body. Therefore the average force will be low on the passenger. That is why an airbag in an automobile may help to protect a passenger from serious injury in case of a collision.

In case of collision the impulsive force acts on the car and results in the change in momentum of the car.The time of impact is very short and the passenger in the car can get a serious injury.An air bag inflates when the car collides,it increases the time in which the momentum of the car changes and thus less force acts on the passenger so that the passenger remains safe.So an airbag is used in automobile to protect a passenger from a serious injury.(F=△p/△t)