Use Newton's 1st law of motion to explain how wearing a seat belt in a moving car could help prevent injury.
If the car was moving at 50 mph then you were moving at 50 mph.
If the car de-accelerates to a stop suddenly and there is no back force on you, you continue to move at 50 mph (first law)
Now the car is stopped and you are moving at 50 mph toward the windshield.
It would be better if you had something the de-accelerates you as the car de-accelerates.
Newton's first law of motion, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest will stay at rest, and an object in motion will stay in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an external force.
In the case of wearing a seat belt in a moving car, Newton's first law helps explain how it helps prevent injury. When a car suddenly stops or changes direction due to an impact or collision, the passengers in the car tend to keep moving forward. This is because of inertia - the tendency of objects to resist changes in motion.
If a person is not wearing a seat belt, they will continue moving forward, even when the car comes to an abrupt stop. This can result in them being thrown forcefully against the dashboard, steering wheel, windshield, or other objects inside the car. These impacts can lead to severe injuries or even fatalities.
However, wearing a seat belt significantly reduces the risk of injury. When a person wears a seat belt, it applies an external force to their body, opposing their forward motion. As a result, the seat belt helps to decelerate the person's body along with the car, bringing them to a stop more gradually and reducing the impact forces on their body.
In simple terms, the seat belt acts as an external force, restraining and keeping the person connected to the car seat during a sudden stop or collision. This helps spread the forces of the impact across the stronger parts of the body, such as the chest and pelvis, and prevents the person from being thrown around inside the car. As a result, wearing a seat belt can significantly reduce the risk of severe injuries or being ejected from the vehicle, ultimately, saving lives.