Hey Guys,
I am doing a yr.12 physics assignment on wich the topic is almost completley open. I would like to do something to do with cars and particularly the rotary engine. Is there any good topics anyone can think of. The other thought I had is to investigate the cetripital acceleration on a car as it goes around a curve. I have to write 1800 words.
Thanks for any help guys.
This is the greatest forum in the world!

 

Does the topic have to be classical mechanics? No thermal dynamics or optics? Thermo would be a good topic for the rotary. Temp. gradient between the intake and exhuast areas of the engine - thermal stress on the housings, seals and rotors. All kinds of good stuff.

How about rotational energies of wheels/tires of different diameters, speeds at the edges of various sizes, and a study of rotational energy vs. different mass distributions (moment of inertias) of wheels.

 

Thanks for your sugestions! We have done any thermal dynamics stuff so I wouldn't understand that. Is there something that is a little simpler (or can be done without as much detail). I am really lost on this topic because I want to do something I am interested in. I was also thinking about just doing a general overview of the physics of cars (ie. compression in turbos heating the air)
thanks guys

 

Try to do theoretical speeds at 60 feet, 1/8th of a mile and at a 1/4 of a mile with a given horsepower and then run at the track as the actual experiment. Compare the speeds or times of the two data conclusions and explain why your real world experiment didn't match up to the theory. Conversely, you could use the track time and then work equations to get a horsepower number, then do a dyno run for real world numbers and try to explain why they are different....

 

how about .. how you can get 198.xx hp from a "stockport" 12a.. uh? uh? how about that?