Science of Race Cars: Studying Forces and Motion

Science of Race Cars: Studying Forces and Motion — page 3
FORCES AND MOTION Motion is energy in the form of movement It’s easy to see the motion of race cars They whip around the track at super fast speeds But for a race to begin the cars need to get going Force is needed to set objects in motion Engines provide this force in race cars Force can also increase an object’s speed As the object moves it pushes back equally against the force On a race track the force of air pushes on the cars affecting their motion and speed The force of the car’s weight affects how well its tires grip the asphalt Studying forces and motion helps car designers build safer race cars And mastering the effects of different forces helps drivers reach top speeds 1 R E T P A H C 6