Satellite Radio + More!

Great deals on equipment and accessories

Powered Car

 

---

 
We have to build a balloon powered car in science?

In science class we have been building balloon powered cars for a project. We have been taught that wheels larger in diameter conduct less friction where you don't want it. The car has to go 5 meters with just 2 9-inch balloons attatched anywhere you want. Any ideas on how to make this work? We have so far made our base out of balsa wood so it would be light and our wheels are peanut butter jar tops.

You'd want to make the car as light as possible - balsa wood is good - just wondering if heavy cardboard would make it lighter yet. You'd want the car to be as low to the ground as possible to minimize wind resistance when it is moving through the air. Having the wheels big in diameter is a good idea though - not only less friction but more traction - most high speed cars have larger wheels for that reason - the wheels would probably be the tallest part of the car in the sort of model balloon powered car I'm envisioning. You might want to try making the wheels out of balsa wood too - just to save weight - peanut butter jar tops are usually made of metal unless you found some that are made of light plastic. The car itself like I mentioned would be as low to the ground as you could practically make it for less areodynamic drag, with the balloons somewhere on the back end. This sounds like a fun project....

JAPANESE WATER POWERED CAR!!


 

---

 
Gas-powered cars not dead yet, panelists say
Electric vehicles will slowly work their way onto American roads, but they won’t replace gas-powered cars anytime soon. That was the consensus of panelists at the 32nd Public Square sponsored by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.