Film Science Questions for On The Power

Background: racing and flying are all about controlling the forces that create sudden changes in velocity. Braking, applying the throttle, and leaning or banking in the turns all affect velocity, i.e., the speed and direction. Can the driver or pilot keep it all under control?

1. Why might a race track be banked in the corners?

2. The racecam views show us what about the relative speeds of the other cars?

3. What is a motto of a stock car driver who wants to win?

4. During a pit stop, why is the action so frenzied?

5. What is the key difference in track layout between stock car and road circuit racing?

6. When the stock car impacts the wall at the entrance to the pit lane, how is the crash energy dissipated?

7. The 25 000 lbs of thrust from each of the F-15 Eagle's engines can push it to what maximum altitude?

8. a) An air to air missile that can travel at 900 m/s is launched from a jetplane going at 750 m/s. The missile will seem to be going how fast to the pilot?

b) How fast will the missile seem to be going to a ground based radar station?

c) How fast will the missile seem to be going to a pilot of a jet trying to escape at 650 m/s?

d) Think: How fast will it seem to be going to the pilot of a plane flying toward it at 700 m/s?

9. a) Find the average acceleration of a High Performance Motorcycle that reaches 60 mph in just 3.3s. (1 mile = 1.61 km, 1 km = 1 000 m, 1 hr = 3 600 s)

b) Starting from rest, it would cover what distance during its acceleration up to 60 mph?

c) At this same acceleration rate, how long would the bike take to reach its top speed of 140 mph?

10. Explain the position of the motorcycle driver in the turns.

11. On the same axis set, sketch two simple time-velocity graphs comparing the acceleration rates of the High Performance and Grand Pre bikes.

12. Why does the dirt bike need to be controlled in a different way than the Grand Pre bike?

13. At its top speed (which is?), the Offshore Racing Powerboat can travel how far in 15 s?

14. What is the danger of the F-1 Tunnel Boat riding too high out of the water?

15. How many turns must be negotiated during the 14 100 ft Pikes Peak Hill climb?

16. During night time passes, how do we see energy released by the supercharged engines?

17. How do Funny Cars demonstrate their huge power during preparations for a pass?

18. What are the only preparations to get a Showroom Stock Racer ready for the track?

19. The large, slab sided GTP race cars can reach what top speed?

20. In the final slow motion scene, what is the visual evidence of the car's speed as it travels over the rolling, straight section of road?