Roosevelt University, Mathematics, Chicago, IL 60605
For my research, I wanted to make associate real life applications of calculus, in particular for a Calculus II level student. I considered the Head Injury Criterion formula as a mathematical module. I worked backwards, looking at the formula find where it derived from and how it was constructed. Then, after gaining a better understanding of it, I began to write up a project for Calculus II students to complete. The first project part consists of basic physical science implications, such as relationships between acceleration, velocity, and distance. By understanding Calculus-based physics, students can approach the HIC formula inquisitively. In the next project part, students are given the Severity Index and the HIC formulas, so they can visualize how one is derived from the other. Preferably, students will be able to create their own formula for the impact of a car crash to a person, specifically their head, and compare it to the actual HIC formula. Students will then use Maple or another mathematical software with given HIC data for a specific car to find the best-fit function for that data.. After depicting the HIC formula, we will compare the HIC of different cars and compare different positions of a person within one car. Understanding the HIC formula will give Calculus II students a better understanding of derivatives, relationships between different rates, and calculus applications.
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