Consider the following actions : 1. Detection of car crash/collision which results in the deployment of airbags almost instantaneously 2. Detection of accidental free fall of a laptop towards the ground which results in the immediate turning off of the hard drive 3. Detection of the tilt of the smart-phone which results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode In how many of the above actions is the function of accelerometer required?
A
Only one
B
Only two
C
All three
Correct Answer
D
None
Explanation
The correct answer is (c) because an accelerometer measures linear acceleration and gravitational force, allowing it to detect the rapid deceleration of a crash, the zero-g state of a free-falling laptop, and the tilt of a smartphone relative to Earth's gravity. Option (b) is the most tempting wrong choice because candidates often assume screen rotation relies solely on gyroscopes; however, while gyroscopes measure angular velocity, accelerometers are the primary sensors used to determine a device's static orientation relative to gravity. The core concept tested is the practical application of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors in modern safety and consumer electronics.
Physics & TechnologySensors & Their ApplicationsAccelerometercar crashairbagsfree falllaptophard drivesmart-phonetiltdisplay rotation