Identify the problem:
Each student is to design and build the quickest and most aerodynamic CO2 dragster possible
Generate Ideas:
-The car must not produce great amount of drag
-Less mass, means less force needed for acceleration
-Although it would weigh less the car could become unstable
-Must create a design which would be aerodynamically friendly
-The longer the car, the better, though not too long
-Build a car a slim body, and a bump that would avoid wind resistance
-Make the wheels in the front smaller than the rest of the car with larger wheels in the back
Constraints:
Each student is to design and build the quickest and most aerodynamic CO2 dragster possible
Generate Ideas:
-The car must not produce great amount of drag
-Less mass, means less force needed for acceleration
-Although it would weigh less the car could become unstable
-Must create a design which would be aerodynamically friendly
-The longer the car, the better, though not too long
-Build a car a slim body, and a bump that would avoid wind resistance
-Make the wheels in the front smaller than the rest of the car with larger wheels in the back
Constraints:
Criteria:
-Weight: The less weight the dragster has, the more speed it has
-Aerodynamic: The car should be able to resist the wind, so wind has to be able to easily pass over it
-Acceleration: Depends on the mass and speed of the dragster
-Clean: The model must be cut smoothly with carefully crafted
Research:
CO2 dragsters have a small canister of CO2 in the back, which once unleashed, the car moved forward or the direction it's pointed at. The goal is to make the dragster that moves the fastest. The criteria to consider, is wind resistance and friction, both can slow down the car. Other factors to consider are weight and surface area of the dragster.
Citations:
Kassel, Mr., Technology Foundations, and Technology Educatio. Technology EducationPurpose of CO2 Activity (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Possible Solutions:
-Weight: The less weight the dragster has, the more speed it has
-Aerodynamic: The car should be able to resist the wind, so wind has to be able to easily pass over it
-Acceleration: Depends on the mass and speed of the dragster
-Clean: The model must be cut smoothly with carefully crafted
Research:
CO2 dragsters have a small canister of CO2 in the back, which once unleashed, the car moved forward or the direction it's pointed at. The goal is to make the dragster that moves the fastest. The criteria to consider, is wind resistance and friction, both can slow down the car. Other factors to consider are weight and surface area of the dragster.
Citations:
Kassel, Mr., Technology Foundations, and Technology Educatio. Technology EducationPurpose of CO2 Activity (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Possible Solutions:
Idea Matrix:
Summary:
Of the 3 choices I have, I've chosen to us the camel model for my dragster, because it seemed the most simplest, which is one of the things I've seen others do, which is having the simplest thing, actually turn out to surpass other models in past projects. And the camel model's smoothness should attract too much wind resistance.
Of the 3 choices I have, I've chosen to us the camel model for my dragster, because it seemed the most simplest, which is one of the things I've seen others do, which is having the simplest thing, actually turn out to surpass other models in past projects. And the camel model's smoothness should attract too much wind resistance.
Graphical Model:
TOP
Working Model:
To get to where my balsa wood is now, I had to first mark it out for outlines for the model on the balsa wood, including the relief cuts. Then I used the band-saw, and chopped up the unnecessary pieces to the form it was outlined. Then I sandpapered the freshly chopped balsa wood, to the point it is very smooth, and they way you'd see the car below. But, after sanding, I had accidentally cut up the balsa wood first, when I was actually suppose to put the axle holes in first. I obviously can't change what has already been done, so I just put in the axle holes, and the image is below, is how it looks now.
I painted my car based on the image of the Lamborghini car you see below. I tried using tape at first for the racing stripes, but when I removed the tape, the paint went below the tape and messed up the racing stripes, so I had to hand paint the stripes at the best of my abilities. I also made a small little logo at the front to act as the Lamborghini logo. The dragster now, in comparison to the graphical model is much different. My graphical model states that there should be 2 trench-like cuts in the top of the dragster, but in the physical model, it's all smooth there. And the obvious main difference is the paint, I felt that the graphical model's paint looked generic and not very creative. So I decided to paint it in one of my favorite car company's vehicle designs, Lamborghini.
To get to where my balsa wood is now, I had to first mark it out for outlines for the model on the balsa wood, including the relief cuts. Then I used the band-saw, and chopped up the unnecessary pieces to the form it was outlined. Then I sandpapered the freshly chopped balsa wood, to the point it is very smooth, and they way you'd see the car below. But, after sanding, I had accidentally cut up the balsa wood first, when I was actually suppose to put the axle holes in first. I obviously can't change what has already been done, so I just put in the axle holes, and the image is below, is how it looks now.
I painted my car based on the image of the Lamborghini car you see below. I tried using tape at first for the racing stripes, but when I removed the tape, the paint went below the tape and messed up the racing stripes, so I had to hand paint the stripes at the best of my abilities. I also made a small little logo at the front to act as the Lamborghini logo. The dragster now, in comparison to the graphical model is much different. My graphical model states that there should be 2 trench-like cuts in the top of the dragster, but in the physical model, it's all smooth there. And the obvious main difference is the paint, I felt that the graphical model's paint looked generic and not very creative. So I decided to paint it in one of my favorite car company's vehicle designs, Lamborghini.
Before:
After Carving:
After Wheels and Paint:
Redesign/Changes:
-I had originally planned on painting the dragster pure white, blue racing stripes, & a ying-yang on the left and right sides of the car
-I changed the paint scheme to a Lamborghini style racing car. So I painted green and red racing stripes for the Italian flag with the Lamborghini logo in the middle, which is a design of a actual Lamborghini paint I saw. I also put some black squares in for the exhaustion vents, windshield, and headlights.
-The front of the vehicle was originally suppose to be a bit flatter, but I decided that is would catch too much wind resistance, that it must be changed to a smoother front.
-The lengths and widths remained the same from the original graphical model.
Average Race Time: 0.783
-I had originally planned on painting the dragster pure white, blue racing stripes, & a ying-yang on the left and right sides of the car
-I changed the paint scheme to a Lamborghini style racing car. So I painted green and red racing stripes for the Italian flag with the Lamborghini logo in the middle, which is a design of a actual Lamborghini paint I saw. I also put some black squares in for the exhaustion vents, windshield, and headlights.
-The front of the vehicle was originally suppose to be a bit flatter, but I decided that is would catch too much wind resistance, that it must be changed to a smoother front.
-The lengths and widths remained the same from the original graphical model.
Average Race Time: 0.783
Mathematical Model:
These graphs
These graphs
From what I've learned from this graph, it's that the more weight the dragster has, the slower it is. This proves that the lighter the dragster is, the faster it will race and get a faster time.
The wider the dragster, the slower the dragster races.
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Based on the data, the longer the dragster is, it will then race slower. But if the dragster is shorter, the faster it will move and race.
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