PRE-SCREENING ACTIVITY
FAST MACHINES DESIGN A RACE CAR
Fast Fact:In 1911, Ray Harroun averaged just under 75 miles per hour to win the first Indianapolis 500. Today, Indy cars reach speeds of over 230mph, more than a Boeing 747 needs to achieve liftoff.
Objective:
The students will design their own race car.
In the Film:
In Super Speedway, engineers, mechanics, drivers and crew work year-round to build and maintain an Indy car that can compete and win races in the PPG CART World Series. There are many design factors to consider, among them safety, speed and reliability.
Background:
Race cars have evolved to high levels of sophistication since the first races at the beginning of the twentieth century. This evolution can be divided into two generations: the early cars, which culminated with the roadsters in the sixties, and modern Indy cars, which we see today. Racing organizations set rules for the sport in order to regulate and protect both the drivers and fans. Engineers build the fastest cars they can within the limits prescribed by Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), the sanctioning organization for the PPG CART World Series. Todays Indy cars are extremely safe in comparison to earlier roadster designs.
Activity:
In groups of four, have the students brainstorm and come up with their own race car design, focusing on both safety and speed. Ask them to create a sketch or blueprint of their concept. After seeing the film and completing the activities in this guide, the students will reevaluate their ideas and redesign their original car.
Materials:
Pencil and paper.
To Do:
Tell the students that they are to design a car that is as fast and as safe as possible. Inform them that they are going to see the film Super Speedway, and do some activities that will teach them about designing safe and fast race cars. Afterward they will have the opportunity to return to their designs and improve on them.
Have the students list as many parts of a race car as possible (i.e., tires, engine, cockpit). Ask them to sketch the chassis, or body, of the car. Have them decide where to position the drivers cockpit, the engine and the wheels to prevent the car from flipping over at high speeds. They have to choose which fuel to use to power the car and where the fuel tank will go. Should they use motor oil in the car? What features should the oil have? How fast do they think the car can go safely? How would they protect the driver?
Invite each group to share their design with the other groups. Create a list of the features a race car should have to make it as fast and as safe as possible. Be sure to collect the students designs and their answers to the above questions.
After the students have viewed the film and worked on some of the activities in this teachers guide, you should return to this pre-screening activity. Have the students change their designs in accordance with what they have learned. Ask them to explain their changes.
Whats Going On?
The final designs should reflect a new understanding of energy, viscosity, safety, stability, aerodynamics, velocity and traction.
Taking It Further:
Organize a race event for the students. Encourage them to build a race car from materials they can find readily. They should try as much as possible to realize the designs they created in this activity.
Cardboard, tin cans or plastic bottles can be turned into rolling racers. In groups of four, have the students establish rules governing the design of their vehicles (i.e., what materials they can use, maximum and minimum dimensions and maximum weight).
A long ramp can serve as the racetrack down which the cars will accelerate. The cars can compete in time trials one at a time or in heats.