Students:
Redesign your Ride
Sometimes small improvements can make a huge impact. Sure, sleek space-age concept cars are cool to look at, but what impact will they have on the future?
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to learn everything you can about car design, environmental impact, energy efficiency and alternative fuels.
Based on your scientific knowledge, how would you create a super fuel-efficient vehicle?
Quick Links
Select a video, interactive or web site to learn more about specific topics.
- Lesson 2
What's the Deal with Oil? - Lesson 3
What's the Deal with Emissions? - Lesson 4
A Weighty Decision - Lesson 6
A Problem of Design
Video Segment Are Electric Cars Sluggish? Jamie, Adam, and young scientist Brandon formulate an experiment to test whether electric cars are more sluggish than gas-powered vehicles.
Video Segment Racing Electric and Gas-powered Go-karts Adam pits an electric go-kart versus a gas-powered ride to see which one is faster.
Video Segment Problems Associated with Our Dependence on Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels and other nonrenewable resources are limited and disappear as they are used. They also pollute. The burning of fossil fuels causes the greenhouse effect, in which too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causes too much radiant energy to be trapped. As the greenhouse effect continues, global warming may increase to the point that conditions in some places become too dry to support plants. Acid rain can harm plants, fish, and structures made of limestone and marble.
Video Segment Testing the Greenhouse Effect Tory, Scottie, and young scientist Eric decide to build a set of greenhouses to test whether such gases as carbon dioxide and methane really do cause global warming.
Video Segment Setting Up the Greenhouses Tory, Scottie, and Eric build the greenhouses for the experiment. Using precise measurements, the team will be able to control the exact temperature and amount of gas in each greenhouse.
Video Segment Results from the Greenhouse Experiment Scottie, Tory, and Eric observe that the temperature in the carbon dioxide and methane greenhouses is always one degree warmer than in the control house.
Full Video Green Gadgets: eGO Cycle The eGO electric scooter runs on a rechargeable battery. This zero-emission vehicle can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and eliminate harmful emissions.
Exploration Rev Your Engines How much does car exhaust contribute to the greenhouse gases causing global warming? Explore the impact of different types of vehicle exhaust and different amounts of driving.
Full Video Green Gadgets: Smart Car Examines the Smart Car, a gasoline-powered vehicle that can achieve between sixty-five and eighty miles per gallon.
Full Video Green Gadgets: ZAP! Truck Highlights an electric truck that reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. The ZAP! Truck is a solar/electric hybrid vehicle that runs on lithium-ion batteries. The truck's solar panels can generate power on a sunny day, or the vehicle can be plugged in to any normal electric socket.
Links
How Hybrids Work (Flash Activity) How Hybrids Work HEV Cost Calculator Tool (Single Car Comparison) Video: 2007 SAE Super Mileage Competition (2:30) Alternative Fuels & Advanced Vehicles Data Center Emerging Fuels Idle Reduction Fuel Cells Low Rolling Resistance Tires Batteries and Ultracapacitors Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
Teacher Toolbox
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