In traffic accidents it is important to establish whether head lamps, rear lights and signal lamps of a vehicle were on or off at the moment of impact. Similarly, in air traffic accidents the state of warning and indicator lights at the moment of impact can also help with an investigation.

In this project the microstructure and mechanical behavior of light bulb filaments during different simulated collisions will be investigated by means of a scanning electron microscope.

The project will involve learning a broad range of electronics and the building of electronic circuits using components such as diodes, transistors, integrated circuits and computer interfaces. Oscillating circuits will be build to simulate the typical lifetime of a car light bulb. The light bubs will then be broken under different conditions. The broken filaments will then be investigated under the microscope to enable specific predictions to be made. Other fun forensic experiments will also be carried out.

• Mr. Johan Janse van Rensburg