How does drag affect a CO2 car?
Drag: Here’s where aerodynamics come into play. As an object moves through the air, it is met with air resistance as speeds increase. This air resistance pushes against your CO2 car and prevents it from going as fast as it could in a vacuum.
How do you reduce drag on a CO2 car?
Three Things You Can Do to Reduce Drag in CO2 Cars
- Golf Balling. Covering the surface of your car with small, semi-circular pits (“golf balling”) does two things.
- Get Low. The bottom of your car experiences just as much drag as the top, so make sure to keep things smooth and straight all the way around.
- Sleek Over Small.
What is the most aerodynamic shape for a CO2 car?
Sphere
Sphere – A very good aerodynamic shape because of it symmetrical shape. Which allows air to flow over it’s surface with very little disruption to the air stream. A combination of basic shapes will yield the best results. This equation has to do with how much weight is over the front and rear of the vehicle.
What is used to thrust CO2 cars?
What is used to thrust CO2 cars? For all the dragsters in the challenge, a CO2 charger provides the force to move the vehicle forward. The chargers contain a large volume of carbon dioxide gas under extreme pressure.
How fast can a CO2 car go?
They’re super quick, on a (20-metre) track, the cars can cross the finish line in just over a second, travelling at a top speed of around 90 kilometers per hour. The CO2 dragster may be small, but it’s going to be moving at incredible speeds when you race it.
Does the paint job affect your CO2 car?
According to scientists at the University of California, Berkley, choosing a lighter-colored car over a traditional black colored car could reduce your car’s carbon dioxide emissions by 1.1 % other tailpipe emissions by 0.5%, and improve fuel efficiency by around 1.1 %. …
What is the fastest CO2 car in the world?
The recent Braden River High graduate built the fastest CO2 dragster in the nation, racing his way to a first-place finish in the Technology Student Association’s national dragster competition and setting a national record of . 925 seconds on a 65-foot track.
What makes a fast c02 car?
Aerodynamics, thrust-to-weight ratio, surface drag, rolling resistance and friction–all play a role in what makes a CO2 car fast or slow.
What is the best length for a CO2 car?
You need to have at least 60 feet without any obstructions. Any shorter distance than this, and the cars will destroy themselves upon finishing a race. The optimum track length is 66 feet (20 Meters), which is in scale with real dragstrip lengths of a quarter mile.
How much pressure is in a CO2 cartridge?
The general standard is that when CO2 reaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the gas obtains a pressure of around 852.8 psi when contained in the cylinder or vessel.
How do you reduce drag?
Engineers reduce friction drag by making the airplane more streamlined, the wings narrower, or by using new materials that make the surface more smooth, decreasing the ability for the force of drag to effect it. As the roughness and surface area of the airplane decreases the friction drag will decrease.
How is a CO2 dragster used in racing?
CO2 dragsters are cars used as miniature racing cars which are propelled by a carbon dioxide cartridge, pierced to start the release of the gas, and which race on a typically 60 feet (18 metres) track. They are frequently used to demonstrate mechanical principles such as mass, force, acceleration, and aerodynamics.
Where is the hollow container in a CO2 dragster?
The hollow container for the carbon dioxide cartridge can be seen towards the rear of the car. CO2 dragsters are cars used by miniature racing cars which are propelled by a carbon dioxide cartridge, pierced to start the release of the gas, and which race on a typically 60 feet (18 metres) track.
What is CO2 used for in cars?
CO2 dragsters are miniature racing cars which are propelled by a carbon dioxide cartridge, pierced to start the release of the gas, and which race on a typically 60 foot track. They are frequently used to demonstrate mechanical principles such as mass, force, acceleration, or aerodynamics.
Why do you need a dragster Mega Pack?
Making dragsters (Co2 Cars) in class has always been a great way to get your students motivated and involved while they learn and this pack will give an activity for your class that won’t be forgotten. Now with the Mega Pack your classroom will have everything to make and finish your dragsters in style!