4 Formula One ACTION How do you measure the power of a formula one car Formula One is the top class of single-seater racing car in the world Only the very best drivers get to pilot a Formula One car and only the best automotive designers and engineers get to work on them The word formula means the specifications that the cars must be built to The formula tells the designers what kind of engine they are to use the length width and height of the bodywork and much more besides A Formula One car is built to go as fast as possible Its speed depends on the power of its engine how streamlined or aerodynamic the bodywork is and how much downforce the car can produce Downforce is the extra push on top of the wing which helps the rear tires to grip the track surface
WORKING PARTS engine cover wing cockpit air intake wing Formula One races are held all over the world and on some famous circuits such as Silverstone in England Monza in Italy and at the Suzuka circuit in Japan There are also races in Australia China Russia and Abu Dhabi In fact each season there are 21 races in all Famous drivers who have won the Formula One World Championship include Juan Manuel Fangio Michael Schumacher Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna ANSWER HORSEPOWER When scientists talk about power they mean the amount of work something is capable of doing in a certain time Work is measured in joules Power is how many joules of work are done in a given time (cid:2)(cid:2) Power for vehicles can also be measured in horsepower One metric horsepower is the same as the power a horse needs to move a load weighing 165 pounds a distance of 3 3 feet in one second of time 5
Most cars race other cars but some cars race just to see how fast they can go These are land speed record cars The fastest will hold the record until a faster one comes along Usually the record is attempted on a very flat surface such as the Bonneville Salt Flats in the United States 6 Land speed record ACTION What helps a land speed record car slide through the air
ANSWER STREAMLINING Over time more streamlined shapes have been developed using the science of aerodynamics This is the science that deals with how things move through the air An aerodynamic shape offers the least resistance as it moves through the air This is why racing cars are designed with aerodynamic noses A square shape makes air flowing over it break up and swirl around behind it This slows it down (cid:37)(cid:64)(cid:50)(cid:59)(cid:53)(cid:50)(cid:55)(cid:48)(cid:1) (cid:42)(cid:50)(cid:59)(cid:1)(cid:44)(cid:59)(cid:46)(cid:42)(cid:61)(cid:46)(cid:60)(cid:1) (cid:59)(cid:46)(cid:60)(cid:50)(cid:60)(cid:61)(cid:42)(cid:55)(cid:44)(cid:46)(cid:1) (cid:61)(cid:49)(cid:42)(cid:61)(cid:1)(cid:49)(cid:56)(cid:53)(cid:45)(cid:60)(cid:1)(cid:61)(cid:49)(cid:46)(cid:1) (cid:56)(cid:43)(cid:51)(cid:46)(cid:44)(cid:61)(cid:1)(cid:43)(cid:42)(cid:44)(cid:52) An aerodynamic shape with a rounded or pointed front and smooth-rounded sides allows the air to move smoothly away from the object without swirling This allows it to move more quickly Smooth (cid:69)(cid:56)(cid:64)(cid:50)(cid:55)(cid:48)(cid:1) (cid:42)(cid:50)(cid:59)(cid:1)(cid:49)(cid:46)(cid:53)(cid:57)(cid:60)(cid:1) (cid:61)(cid:49)(cid:46)(cid:1)(cid:56)(cid:43)(cid:51)(cid:46)(cid:44)(cid:61)(cid:1) (cid:54)(cid:56)(cid:63)(cid:46)(cid:1) (cid:46)(cid:42)(cid:60)(cid:50)(cid:53)(cid:66) Engines just like those used in normal cars powered the first speed vehicles except these engines were bigger and more powerful In 1904 Henry Ford’s 999 reached a speed of 147 057 kilometres per hour kph a fabulous speed for the time It held the record for just one month By 1933 the driver Malcolm Campbell was racing a car he called Bluebird which held an engine of 36 litres A normal car engine today is 2 litres He reached 483kph Afterwards drivers began to experiment with jet engines Now the power came from the push of the jet’s high-powered exhaust The goal today is to break the 1,610kph barrier 7
