Education Technology

The Science of Racing: Fuel Strategy (Exponential Decay)

Subject Area
Math: Algebra I: Data Analysis
Math: Algebra I: Exponential Functions
Math: Algebra I: Functions and Relations
Level
6-8
9-12
Activity Time
75 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
TI-Nspire™ CX CAS/CX II CAS
TI-Nspire Version
2.1
Resource Types
Lessons
Format
TNS

The Science of Racing: Fuel Strategy (Exponential Decay)

Activity Overview

Students will collect data and analyze the data using graphs and regressions to understand conservation of energy and exponential decay. Then use the analysis to decide fuel strategies

 

About the Lesson

NASCAR cars run on gas and a team’s fuel strategy on race day can be a huge factor on winning versus losing. The T80SRC car, on the other hand, is an electric car; so as the fuel drains, its performance worsens. T80SRC teams also have to devise a fuel strategy. For example, when should you do a pit stop to replace the battery or should you simply add two batteries to the car? This lesson will explore the drain on the battery of a car through various means.

Subject Area
Math: Algebra I: Data Analysis
Math: Algebra I: Exponential Functions
Math: Algebra I: Functions and Relations
Level
6-8
9-12
Activity Time
75 Minutes
TI Calculator
TI-Nspire™ CX series
TI-Nspire™ CX CAS/CX II CAS
TI-Nspire Version
2.1
Resource Types
Lessons
Format
TNS
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