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Jed Fox

Mr. Holder

H Physics

November 21, 2019

The Physics of Concussions

Helmets have evolved throughout history in many ways. They have evolved from large

steel contraptions of medieval war to sleek, lightweight designs of modern sports. In this project,

we set out to design a helmet using the principles of physics with limited materials at our

disposal. Using the principles of force, momentum and impulse, and energy to create a helmet

that can protect as well as possible the user from a concussion. Our design was not the best way

to do it, however, based on a multitude of factors. Our project is a poor solution to the problem

because it had poor implementation of initial concepts, lack of structural integrity on all sides,

and unbalanced, large design.

First, our design had poor implementation of the initial concepts. The original prototype

was based on the video by Rober, M. In the video he talks about the design by placing straws

around a central compartment holding the egg. This design has straws going in all directions to

absorb the energy of the fall. It uses the concept that none of the straws point at the egg meaning

that all of the force of impact is directed around the egg and the egg does not absorb any of the

energy itself. However, when transitioning this design into our helmet there were several

problems. The body of the helmet had a large cone shape. This shape did not allow for the straws

to go in all directions. This lead to the egg or head being vulnerable. According to the

motorcycle safety foundation, there is a rigid outside layer and “ it's designed and intended to

compress when it hits anything hard. That action disperses energy from the impact to lessen the
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force before it reaches your head” (​What You Should Know About Bicycle Helmets​,2014).

However, our project only had an impact-absorbing layer. It had no rigid layer leading to the

force of impact is more centralized and the impact is, therefore, more forceful.

Another problem that our design had was the lack of structural integrity on both sides.

Our design as previously stated did not allow our original design to be implemented correctly.

This lead to the top and bottom of our projects being protected from the force but left the sides

unprotected. This is a major problem as a blow to the side of the helmet would lead to damage

and would not combat concussions well enough. An example of a more protective design can be

seen in an article by Skiver K. which discusses a new helmet design and how this design works.

While describing the helmet Skiver (2017) states that the helmet uses the “VICIS reflex system.

The helmet is designed with a series of plates that work in concert to reduce the trauma behind

the impact. As the helmet starts to fold and yield, it absorbs the impact of the hit and redistributes

it throughout the helmet.” This design surrounds the whole helmet and can effectively absorb

and redistribute force around the head while the design we tested is much less effective.

Finally, Our design is too large and unbalanced. The document, The Ideal Bicycle

Helmet, states that a helmet should be “cool, light, unobtrusive to the user” (​The Ideal Bicycle

Helmet,​ 2019). Our helmet does not fit this description as the design is long and thin leading to it

being too large. The other problem with the design is that it is too top-heavy. This lead to the

helmet flipping over and falling on its side during the drops. This turned out to be a major

problem as previously stated, the sides of the design were a vulnerable area. This lead to our egg

during the drops being concussed in both the 5G sensor and the 15G sensor. The large design of

the helmet also was a factor in the concussions because of the physics of freefall. As explained in

the article Gravitational Potential Energy, “The work done on the mass is then W=Fd=Mgh. We

define this to be the gravitational potential energy put into (or gained by) the object-Earth
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system”(​College Physics​, 2013). Using this we can determine that since our project is heavier

than necessary that it will have higher potential energy. This is a problem because the higher

potential energy it has before the drop leads to more kinetic energy as it hits the ground. This

means that it will have a higher velocity when it hits the ground. This, in turn, means that the

object will have more momentum and therefore experience more force which could lead to the

egg cracking or becoming concussed.

While our solution is not the best in its current stages many improvements can be made to

the design. Mainly, the development of a smaller and more compact design while allowing

360-degree implementation of the force redirecting straws. Different improvements could have

also been changing our design specs to reduce the weight and increase the chances that the egg

does not become concussed. Our solution was not successful however it opened the door into the

world of concussions and the best ways to prevent them and how the principles of physics can be

seen within and throughout life.

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References

Gravitational Potential Energy – College Physics. (2012, January 23). Retrieved from

https://opentextbc.ca/physicstestbook2/chapter/gravitational-potential-energy/

The Ideal Bicycle Helmet. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.helmets.org/ideal.htm

Rober, M. (n.d.). ​YouTube​ [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsnyl8llfH4

Skiver, K. (2017, August 22). The safest helmet in football: What's inside the NFL's

newest headgear. Retrieved from

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/the-safest-helmet-in-football-whats-inside-t

he-nfls-newest-headgear/

What You Should Know About Motorcycle Helmets. (2014). Retrieved from

https://www.msf-usa.org/downloads/helmet_CSI.pdf