2 Yacht Air balloon Kayak Power boat Bobsleigh Snowmobile Dragster Dog sled Formula One Land speed record Rally car Bicycle Motocross Quadbike Speed skating Scull 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 Contents HORSEPOWER streamlining STEERING gears EQUILIBRIUM 4 wheel drive GRAVITY 3rd class LEVER SAIL SHAPE EXPANDING AIR BUOYANCY center of gravity friction TRACTION WING SHAPE Chemical potential and kinetic energy ACTION
36 38 40 42 44 46 48 Dragon boat DRAG US Stock car combustion engine Go cart CHAIN GEAR Plane propellers Glossary Index Credits Machines that go fast and allow us to race at speed or with special twisting and turning skill are behind some of the world’s most exciting sports These machines may operate on land in the sea or in the air They may carry just a single person or a whole sporting team but they all allow us to race All moving machines need to be powered by some form of energy This may be electrical energy or chemical energy from fossil fuels such as gasoline It may even by kinetic energy the kind given off when animals or people use their muscles to move Now let’s look at some of the cleverly-designed forms of transport that help us take part even win in daring competitions and the science that makes this possible 3
4 Formula One ACTION How do you measure the power of a formula one car Formula One is the top class of single-seater racing car in the world Only the very best drivers get to pilot a Formula One car and only the best automotive designers and engineers get to work on them The word formula means the specifications that the cars must be built to The formula tells the designers what kind of engine they are to use the length width and height of the bodywork and much more besides A Formula One car is built to go as fast as possible Its speed depends on the power of its engine how streamlined or aerodynamic the bodywork is and how much downforce the car can produce Downforce is the extra push on top of the wing which helps the rear tires to grip the track surface
WORKING PARTS engine cover wing cockpit air intake wing Formula One races are held all over the world and on some famous circuits such as Silverstone in England Monza in Italy and at the Suzuka circuit in Japan There are also races in Australia China Russia and Abu Dhabi In fact each season there are 21 races in all Famous drivers who have won the Formula One World Championship include Juan Manuel Fangio Michael Schumacher Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna ANSWER HORSEPOWER When scientists talk about power they mean the amount of work something is capable of doing in a certain time Work is measured in joules Power is how many joules of work are done in a given time (cid:2)(cid:2) Power for vehicles can also be measured in horsepower One metric horsepower is the same as the power a horse needs to move a load weighing 165 pounds a distance of 3 3 feet in one second of time 5
