STEM in Auto Racing

STEM in Auto Racing — page 1 — Michael Schumacher zooms around a corner on a track in Germany

STEM in Auto Racing — page 2 — 1 CHAPTER LIFE IN THE FAST LANE The pack of cars races around the track at almost 200 miles per hour 320 km h The final turn is coming up The second place driver looks for an opportunity to overtake the leader He knows he has to time his move perfectly The turn comes and the driver ahead makes a major mistake The first place driver goes

STEM in Auto Racing — page 3 — into the turn too widely veering off to the track's outer edge The second place driver takes his chance He knows that hugging the inside of the track will help him close the gap His car has been specially designed for just this move Its tires grip the road with just enough friction to stop him from losing control but not so much as to slow him down As he presses down the accelerator pedal the car's engine takes in more fuel to give him a boost of power at just the right moment to speed past the leader He takes the lead at the home stretch racing down the last straightaway to beat every other car to the finish line The driver's skill was a crucial component in this race But it was not the only factor The winning team took science technology engineering and math STEM into account to achieve a first place finish RACING CARS Auto racing is one of the most popular sports in the world For many decades fans have come to tracks to

STEM in Auto Racing — page 4 — Team engineers and technicians make careful adjustments to cars with STEM principles in mind cheer on drivers who have the skills to go fast while staying in control The first auto race took place in 1894 The top speeds in that first race were only 10 2 miles per hour 16 4 km h Now some cars can go more than 20 times as fast Around the world races continue to showcase speed and skills Auto racing comes in many forms Each type of race requires specially built cars that can handle different demands Formula 1 F1 cars have to handle twisty curvy tracks These low sleek vehicles look

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