What makes fast cars fast?
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What makes fast cars fast?
The motive force for a car is the engine. Every engine produces an amount of work-energy measured in mechanical horsepower. One horsepower is 550 foot-pounds per second. More power in generation from the engine means more power available to turn the wheels faster on the car.
How does aerodynamics affect the speed of a car?
Vehicles with an aerodynamic design tend to be more stable at higher speeds. A car simply isn’t designed to go through a brick wall. But there is another type of “wall” that cars are designed to move through, and have been for a long time — the wall of air that pushes against a vehicle at high speeds.
What shape should a car be?
A car body with the aerodynamic shape passes with least resistance through the air, as a consequence the fuel economy is improved. For a vehicle without aerodynamic shape of the body, a lot of engine power is required to drive through the air….Body Shape.
| Types of Vehicles | Cd (dimensionless) |
|---|---|
| Motor Cycle | 1.75-1.85 |
What four factors are affected by speed?
Factor analysis of the data indicates that speed choice on curves can be described by four road-environment factors: separation of opposing traffic; cross-section characteristics; alignment; and signing.
How does weight affect the speed of a car?
According to the Science Channel, a heavier car moves at a slower rate of speed. To increase the speed of a heavy vehicle requires more force to move the car faster, using more fuel.
What is the aerodynamic efficiency of a car’s shape?
The aerodynamic efficiency of a car’s shape is measured by its co-efficient of drag (generally known as its Cd figure). For example, a flat plate held at right angles to the airflow has a Cd of 1.25, whereas the most efficient production car shapes at the moment have a Cd of about 0.28.
What is the relationship between drag and speed in cars?
Drag and speed. As cars have become faster over the years, their aerodynamic efficiency has become more crucial because the amount of power needed to propel a car at high speed rises with the cube of the speed. The faster you are going, the more power it takes to go even faster.
How does the speed of a car affect the risk of crash?
For a car travelling at 70 km/h the risk increased fourfold. For speeds below 60 km/h the likelihood of a fatal crash can be expected to be correspondingly reduced. Small conditions can make a big difference to the time it takes you to stop your car, such as going a few km/hr slower or being alert on the road.