Airbag

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/airbag

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the category?Vehicle occupant-restraint system
2. What is the applications?Driver, passenger, side-curtain, knee, seat-mounted, inflatable seat belt, and pedestrian airbags
3. What is an airbag and how does it help keep me safe in a car crash?An airbag is a quick‑inflating cushion made of nylon that pops out when a crash happens, hugging you to stop you from hitting hard parts inside the car.
4. How does the airbag know when to pop?Sensors in the car watch how fast the car is moving and how hard it hits; when the numbers reach a certain level, the car’s computer tells the airbag to inflate.

Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR): The technical term for an airbag system, highlighting its role as an added safety measure.
Pyrotechnic Device: A component that uses a controlled chemical reaction to produce gas for rapid inflation.
Crash Algorithm: The complex set of rules programmed into the ECU to determine if and when an airbag should deploy.