You have learned that acceleration is the time rate change of velocity. Later in this course you will learn that acceleration is directly related to force. Acceleration is a subject of intense study in many fields of engineering and technology. (A simple net search with acceleration as the keyword will produce more hits than you could surf during your career here at UVI!)
The internal guidance systems of commercial aircraft depend, in part, upon the detection of subtle changes in direction and speed...i.e. acceleration. The production of a low cost version for use in navigational systems for cars is being pursued at several institutions. The Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) is one such project under the direction of PATH Sensor Group at UC Berkeley.
Many of the design parameters for automobles are dependent upon measurements of acceleration during collisions. There are many facilities associated with the federal government's Department of Transportation. One such facility is the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, founded in 1965 to initiate highway safety research programs. UMTRI is currently operating an $11,000,000 per-year research program, with funds received from federal and state government agencies, motor vehicle manufacturers and suppliers, and other organizations. UMTRI's Impact Sled Laboratory provides a means of analyzing accelerations during collisions with high speed cameras in a controlled laboratory setting.
And if you're looking for REALLY BIG accelerations, the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (located on the campus of New Mexico Tech) maintains the
EMRTC Sled Track facility for testing high velocity collisions. The Sled Track facility is capable of accelerating 1000 lb loads to nearly 700 mph over a relatively short distance. There's is a link to the EMRTC homepage if you would like more info about the facility.
Be sure to enter your full name. Enter your email address ONLY if you want the number of points awarded e-mailed to you. Responses should be brief but complete. You must click the SUBMIT button to submit your entry. Entries are due by noon on Monday of next week.