Hit and Run
Recommended for grades 9–12.
Introduction
Rania Sallum, 58, was struck by a large, dark-colored SUV Wednesday around 7:20 a.m. Sallum could not see the driver or read the license plate, but she knows that she was struck by the front right bumper of the vehicle, which then slowed almost to a stop before speeding off. She estimates that the incident occurred between 7:15 and 7:25 a.m. A hit-and-run bulletin and vehicle description went out to all officers. Three police teams spotted vehicles with front right bumper damage.
Objectives
- Simulate the use of an event data recorder (EDR) in order to show how the evidence gathered by this device can be used for legal purposes.
- Show how accident scenes can be recreated through an analysis of the data that are gathered by an EDR.
- Learn how distance traveled, velocity, and acceleration are related to one another.
- Learn how the appearance of an acceleration, velocity, or distance vs. time graph can be used to predict the appearance of the other graphs.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.