Bicycle Helmet Brands and Shock Absorption

Hard

Do expensive bicycle helmets absorb more impact than cheap ones? You place a basketball inside each helmet and pump it to the same pressure. Then you drop a 3 kg weight from 2 meters onto the helmet. A pressure gauge on the ball records the peak impact force. You test three helmet brands at different price points. Each helmet gets five drops. All three helmets produce similar pressure readings. Price does not appear to affect shock absorption in this test.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that a more expensive bicycle helmet will be more effective in reducing impact.

Science Concepts Learned

Shock Absorption

Thicker foam or a higher price tag might suggest better protection, but the real question is how much force passes through. Here, a 3 kg weight drops from 2 meters onto three bicycle helmet brands at different price points. A basketball sits inside each helmet, pumped to the same pressure, and a pressure gauge on the ball records the peak impact force. After five drops per helmet, all three produce similar pressure readings. That means basic flexible materials can slow down a hit just as effectively regardless of cost.

Impact Resistance

A more expensive bicycle helmet might seem like a safer one, but price alone does not tell the whole story. In this test, a 3 kg weight drops from 2 meters onto three helmet brands at different price points, each secured over a basketball pumped to the same pressure. A pressure gauge on the ball records the peak force on each drop. After five drops per helmet, all three brands produce similar pressure readings. That means the price tag does not appear to determine how well a helmet absorbs a hit.

Method & Materials

You will arrange four bricks in a square, secure a bicycle helmet over a ball, and drop a weight from a certain height. You will measure the air pressure in the ball when the weight hits the helmet.

You will need a 2 meter long string, three different brands of bicycle helmets, a 3 kg circular weight, a basketball, an air pump, a pressure gauge, four bricks, a chair, and an assistant.

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Results

The results showed that the impact of the collision was approximately the same for the basketball, regardless of the brand of bicycle helmet used.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it tests the ability of different brands of bicycle helmets to absorb shock. It also shows how important it is to wear a helmet correctly to minimize the risk of injuries.