Reckless+dumping+of+items+from+overpasses

=**Hazards & Precautions :** = =Reckless Dumping Over Overpasses = By: Alexis Montgomery **
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**Brief Description of Driving Safety Hazard ** My problem focuses on the dangers of dropping items over an overpass onto oncoming cars. It also focuses on how fast the objects hits cars and their impact. **News Articles Related to this Hazard** On this website, there is a list of stories from a newspaper company, about overpass hazards and accidents.
 * Renshaw, Jarrett, Heather Schmelzlen, Manuel Gamiz, and Tim Blangger. "The Morning Call: Article collections." //The Morning Call N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Dec.2009.

This is another article of an example of accidents that happen because people throw things over overpasses. It’s about a young man who got hit by a rock and was hurt severely.
 * Buscher, Melissa. "Canadian Teen Remains In Critical Condition After Overpass Attack." //wral.com// Ed. John Clark. Capital Broadcasting Company, 15 Mar. 1999. Web. 2 Dec. 2009. <[]>.

**How the Kinematics (principles of motion) Relate to This Hazard** The relevant concepts in the scenario are velocity, position, acceleration, time, and displacement. In the scenario I have to use the position in which the cars are in, the acceleration of the object, the time it takes to drop, and the displacement of the overpass, to figure out the velocity at which the object will hit the cars.The acceleration of the object and the time it takes for the object to drop from the displacement of the overpass determines the velocity of the object.

**Scenario**: Reckless dumping of items from overpasses: For fun people will drop items from overpasses including trash, ice, and rocks. To understand more fully how dangerous it is to toss items from overpasses, you will calculate the velocity at which these items hit cars which are traveling on the road beneath.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">We will be looking for demonstration of ability to calculate velocity given displacement and acceleration and time taken to fall a prescribed distance.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">We will also be looking for demonstration of ability to appropriately apply models of constant velocity and constant acceleration and predict whether or not a dropped item will hit a car traveling at a particular velocity based on where it is when the item is dropped.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">My Example Scenario: <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">It was a typical day, moving into evening and I was driving along the high way on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I stopped at an overpass to watch the sun set. While I was watching it, I accidently dropped a can of tennis ball over the edge, they all dropped onto two of the cars passing.

The back window of one of the cars then cracked. When the windows crack, it happens because of impact an object has on the car. The impact always depends on how fast the object goes.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Quick Facts: <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">
 * <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The speed limit on the Pennsylvania turnpike is 65 miles per hour.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;"> As proven by Galileo, all falling objects fall at 9.8m/s. (a)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The height of the overpass is 5 meters. (x)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">The formula to solve for the velocity is:

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">How I Solved My Equation:

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Another Example:

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">This is an example motion map of an objects increasing speed as it falls.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">**How this Hazard Can Be Avoided With a Better Knowledge of Kinematics** <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Throughout my research in solving this problem, I've learned several dangers and hazards of throwing trash over an overpass. With this better knowledge of the kinematics, drivers can remain safe and avoid getting hurt. People who throw the trash may also learn the importance of not throwing trash.