NASCAR: Thrilling and Educational

The National Science Foundation's new video series details the physics of the fast

By Susannah F. Locke Posted 04.24.2009 at 10:20 am 3 Comments

The National Science Foundation and NASCAR have teamed up for a new video series that explains the science of car racing in depth (trailer above). "The Science of Speed" videos go straight to the track to show all the tricks racers use to get the most velocity out of a hunk of metal on four wheels.

Diandra Leslie-Pelecky, a physicist at the University of Texas at Dallas who has studied the sport in detail, hosts the 12 videos and isn't afraid to get into the physics and wield an equation or two, if necessary. Top drivers (Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers) and engineers also help elucidate the science of turning, drafting, and fire suits, among other topics.

You can check out the episodes at the NSF's video hub.

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3 Comments

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itpetex

04/24/09 at 11:10 am

Thank you very much :)

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Alexa123

06/07/09 at 9:34 pm

very nice.

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bluetoffee

10/21/09 at 2:25 pm

That's a great video covering some basic concepts of speed and forces that a lot of people don't think about. Motorsport is a topic I'm interested in, but primarily from a photography point of view.

Nick
www.latestdiscountvouchers.co.uk