What Happens When Cars Collide

About this printable What Happens When Cars Collide science reading passage, NGSS-aligned (Grades 3-5)

This 250-word reading passage introduces fourth-grade students to the concept of energy transfer and transformation during car collisions, aligned with NGSS standard 4-PS3-3. Students learn that kinetic energy—the energy of motion—must go somewhere when cars crash. The passage explains how energy transfers to other cars, transforms into sound and heat, and is absorbed by crumpling metal. It emphasizes that faster-moving cars possess more kinetic energy, resulting in greater damage during high-speed crashes. The passage also introduces crumple zones, a safety feature designed to absorb energy gradually and reduce force on passengers. Written at a fourth-grade reading level, this educational resource uses age-appropriate language and relatable examples to build foundational understanding of energy concepts. The passage includes audio integration for diverse learners and is accompanied by comprehension questions, writing activities, and graphic organizers. Teachers can use this passage to prepare students for hands-on investigations about energy, force, and motion. The content focuses on factual, scientific explanations of energy transfer without graphic descriptions, making it appropriate for elementary classrooms while maintaining scientific accuracy and alignment with Next Generation Science Standards for physical science.

Written by Workybooks TeamPublished by Workybooks

Sample passage and quiz from What Happens When Cars Collide

When two cars crash into each other, something important happens to their energy. A moving car has kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion. During a collision, this kinetic energy doesn't just disappear. Instead, it transfers (moves) to other objects or transforms (changes) into different forms of energy.

When one moving car hits another car, some kinetic energy transfers to the second car, making it move. The rest of the energy transforms into other forms. Some becomes sound energy—that's the loud crash you hear. Some becomes heat energy, warming up the metal. Much of the energy goes into bending and crumpling the metal parts of the cars.

The speed of the car matters a lot. A car moving at high speed has much more kinetic energy than a slow-moving car. This is why crashes at highway speeds cause much more damage than crashes in parking lots. The greater the kinetic energy, the more energy must transfer and transform during the collision.

Car engineers design special crumple zones in the front and back of cars. These are parts that bend and fold during a crash. Crumple zones absorb energy gradually, like catching a ball with your hands instead of letting it hit a wall. This reduces the force (push or pull) on the passengers inside, helping keep them safer during a collision.

Comprehension quiz (8 questions)

1. What is kinetic energy?

Energy stored in batteries

Energy of motion

Energy from the sun

Energy in food

2. What happens to energy during a crash?

It disappears completely

It only makes sound

It transfers and transforms

It stays in the car

3. Why do fast cars cause more damage?

They are bigger

They have more kinetic energy

They are heavier

They have weaker metal

4. How do crumple zones help passengers?

They make cars go faster

They absorb energy gradually

They stop all crashes

They make cars lighter

5. What forms does energy transform into?

Only sound

Sound, heat, and bending metal

Only heat

Light and electricity

6. Where are crumple zones located on cars?

Only on the sides

On the roof

Front and back

Inside the seats

7. Energy disappears during a car collision.

True

False

8. What does the word 'transfer' mean?

To disappear completely

To move from one place to another

To stay in one place

To create new energy

What Happens When Cars Collide

What's included

About this printable What Happens When Cars Collide science reading passage, NGSS-aligned (Grades 3-5)

Sample passage and quiz from What Happens When Cars Collide