Physics of Car Racing Essay - 1508 Words

This paper is a look at the physics behind car racing. We look look at how we can use physics to select tires, how physics can help predict how much traction we will have, how physics helps modern cars get there extreme speed, how physics lets us predict the power of an engine, and how physics can even help the driver find the quickest way around the track. Tires are the most important part of race or any car for that mater. (Physics of Racing) After all they are the only thing that is contact with the ground! Tires work by having a high coefficient of friction. Some slicks have a friction coefficient grater then 1! (Physics of Racing) Typical normal street tires have coefficient of about .5 to .6 . In physics we learned that†¦show more content†¦If we are going to keep the tires from sliding, the sum of the acceleration and turning vectors magnitude cant be larger then the max force of our tires. This max force of traction forms a circle, with the radius forming a circle. (Chassis Engineering) You can see why if your on the brakes you have less traction for turning. We know this from real life too, since if you have a really tight turn in a car, if you slam your breaks your going to slide off at a tangent to the curve. Aerodynamics have really changed modern racing. Most high speed cars use a large wing like the McLaren to make the body of the car push down harder on the tires. This effectively increases the normal force on the tire to increases the frictional force of the tires. (Physics of Racing) Of course this large wing creates drag, so most wings have a low angle of attack. (Auto Math) Some Formual 3000, F1, Indy, and GTP cars use large scoops on the side that are shaped like an hour glass, with a small hole under the body. This creates a low pressure system under the car and sucks the car to the road. There is an old racing storie that before Indy street races workers have to go around and spot weld the man hole covers so they are not sucked off the ground during the race. The louvers on the McLaren help control this low pressure system under the car, and cool the engine. The power of the engine and the way the car handles really is what sets race carsShow MoreRelatedReport On The Car Engines1498 Words   |  6 PagesCar Engines Jonah Hornum Wilde Lake High School Jonah Hornum Torque Torque of a car is very important to its performance. Torque is the measure of how much force is acting on an object and how that causes the object to rotate. (What is torque). Rotating the wheels of a car is torque and that helps the car get up to speed faster. Many performance cars have very fast 0-60 mph speeds, like the corvette, challenger and exotic cars like the Porsche, Bentley, Ashton Martin etcRead More Physics of a Car Essay1527 Words   |  7 PagesPhysics of a Car The average driver doesn’t think about what keeps their car moving or what keeps them on the road, but that’s because they don’t have to. The average driver doesn’t have to worry about having enough downforce to keep them on the road or if they will reach the adhesive limit of their car’s tires around a turn. These are the things are the car designers, professional drivers, racing pit crews, serious sports car owners, and physicist think about. Physics are an important partRead MoreHistory of Ferrari1309 Words   |  6 PagesEnzo Ferrari was born in Modena Italy on February 18 1898. He came from a well to do family that owned a metal foundry making railroad parts, they were the first in his town to own a car. 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For example, physics explains why rainbows have colours, what keeps a satellite in orbit, and what atoms and nuclei are made of. The goal of physics is to explain as many things as possible using as few laws as possible, revealing natures underlying simplicity and beauty. Physics has been applied in many industrialRead MorePhysics for Industries1918 Words   |  8 PagesINTRODUCTION Physics attempts to describe the fundamental nature of the universe and how it works, always striving for the simplest explanations common to the most diverse behaviour. For example, physics explains why rainbows have colours, what keeps a satellite in orbit, and what atoms and nuclei are made of. The goal of physics is to explain as many things as possible using as few laws as possible, revealing nature s underlying simplicity and beauty. Physics has been applied in many industrial