How do airbags work? There are three main parts to airbags. First is the bag itself. It is made of nylon fabric stored into the steering wheel and the dashboard of the passenger's side. Second is the sensor, which lets the bag know when to inflate. The sensor detects a collision with force of hitting a brick wall at about 10-15 mph. Finally is the inflation system. This is when sodium azide (NaN3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3) react very rapidly and produce hot nitrogen gas. The gas inflates the bag and burst out of the steering wheel very quickly. Charles' Law is demonstrated here, because as the temperature of the gas is increased, the volume of the bag is quickly increased.
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