9781422274743

INTRODUCTION

Macaroni and cheese. Texting and emojis. STEM and sports. What? STEM—and sports? Yes! When one thinks about STEM classes and sports, they seem like opposites, right? You’re either in the classroom learning, or you’re on the playing field. But STEM and sports really do go together. STEM is education in four specific areas— science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Rather than being taught as separate subjects, STEM curriculum is integrated together for real-world learning. When a science class visits an amusement park, the students learn the principles of physics, use math to make calculations, and learn about the engineering and technology used to construct roller coasters and other rides. Auto racing is a thrilling spectator sport, but so many principles of physics happen behind the scenes—on the track, in the pits, and particularly in the car itself. Newton’s laws of physics definitely apply to auto racing. > Newton’s First Law: An object at rest stays at rest. In order to move, an external force must act on it. This defines the law of inertia. > Newton’s Second Law of Motion defines the famous F=ma equation. This law says that the force of an object is equal to its mass multiplied by its acceleration. > Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. There are many forms of professional auto racing. Formula 1 (F1) racing is perhaps the most famous, with custom-built cars and wheels located outside of the car’s body. The Monaco Grand Prix is probably the most famous Formula 1 race. In America, open- wheel racing comes in the form of IndyCar, which puts on the famous Indianapolis 500. Stock car racing is popular as well. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, better known as NASCAR, is very popular in the United States with events like the Daytona 500. Then there is drag racing and hot rod racing, where opponents accelerate as fast as possible on a short track. There are still other forms of auto racing, such as rallying, off-road racing, and even production car racing. Regardless of the type of racing, drivers make some amazing gravity-defying moves, but you might be surprised to find out just how much science goes into race day. Let’s take a look at the STEM concepts in auto racing. We’ll explore concepts, like force, inertia, acceleration, and power—all important to the sport.

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