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Streamlining. D. Crowley, 2008. Streamlining. To understand how streamlining can increase the speed of an object. Speed. Look at the two cars – imagine they had exactly the same engine (with the same power output) Which one would be quicker? How can you tell?. Speed.
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Streamlining D. Crowley, 2008
Streamlining To understand how streamlining can increase the speed of an object
Speed • Look at the two cars – imagine they had exactly the same engine (with the same power output) • Which one would be quicker? How can you tell?
Speed • The Aston Martin is much more streamlined than the Lada and this will affect how fast it goes (as well as having a much bigger engine in real life)… • Its all to do with frictional forces
Friction • Whenever an object moves against another object, it is likely to experience frictional forces - forces that act in the direction oppositeto the direction of movement • Friction can be useful - friction between our shoes and the floor stop us from slipping; friction between tyres and the road stop cars from skidding; friction between the brakes and wheel help bikes and cars slow down • Friction can also be unhelpful - friction between moving parts causes energy loss to the surroundings (heat): rub your hands together quickly
Air Resistance • Vehicles experience air resistance as they move - caused by the frictional forces of the air against the vehicle. • The faster the vehicle moves, the bigger the air resistance becomes (top speed is reached when the force from the engine is balanced by air resistance) • Reduce the air resistance and you will go faster - streamlining allows the air to flow over more easily so air resistance is reduced
Forces • Your task is to plan an experiment, proving that being streamlined (like the Aston Martin) reduces the amount of friction • Using the streamlined shapes worksheet complete your experiment, write your results and conclude and evaluate what you have done