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Re: [Phys-l] Pinewood Derby Car Weight....





From: Hugh Haskell <hhaskell@mindspring.com>
1. Moving the extra mass to the back of the car won't help because
every point of the car drops through the same vertical distance
between the beginning and end of the track.

Surprisingly, this isn't true.

Because the car rests at an angle and finishes flat, the back of the car undergoes a slightly greater change in height than the front.

2. Taking one front wheel out of the game may help a little but it
also runs the risk of having the car swerve toward the side with the
functioning wheel and may take it off the track, causing
disqualification.

Most of the tracks have wheel grooves that keep the car going straight. However, if the wheels hit the edge of these grooves, they lose lots of energy. Given that, it is absolutely essential that the car drive straight. Further, it is also very important that the four wheels are directly exactly forward. Any racking of the wheels will eat energy out of the motion.

Marc "Zeke" Kossover
The Jewish Community High School of the Bay






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