STRETCH/NG SEATBELT TEST:

Abstract
Background: Passengers w o a-e ~: -;: - a :::: -a :e
potential energy. In a crash. a ca: d~elerates c., e y. This
causes the passengers' potential ene Q/ :e cscc . . . e kinetic
energy. Passengers wearing seatbelts sioo. ,•, :- -c--stretching
seatbelts, the passenger's stopping distance s S"O'":. Stretching
seatbelts increase this distance. The work-energy principie shows that
a slightly greater stopping distance exerts less force on passengers.

Results: Tests show that stretching

seatbelts reduce the force and Gs
that passengers feel.

Conclusions:
The new seatbelts reduce injuries.
This is because less work is
done on passengers. lnstead,
most of the passenger's
kinetic energy transfers to the belt.

Get ready!
O Before you read the passage, talk
about these questions.
1 What types of energy are there?
2 How do engineers make cars safer?

Reading 8 Read the sentence pairs. Choose where the words

best fit in the blanks.
O Read this abstract from a
1 decelerate I stopping distance
seatbelt test. Then, mark the
The of this car is dangerously long.
following statements as true
(T) or false (F). Drivers when they press the brakes.

1 _ Kinetic energy becomes 2 kinetic energy I potential energy

potential energy in a crash. A still object has _
2 _ Shorter stopping distances A moving object has _
exert less force on people.
3 _ Stretching seatbelts cause 3 force I work
less work to be done on When you kick a ball, the moves it forward.
people. A machine does _ en moves another object.
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