Introduction
In car racing every part of the vehicle is made to help it go faster and have better control on
the track. One of the most important parts is the rear spoiler. A rear spoiler is a flat or curved
piece at the back of the car that changes how air moves over it. When a sports car speeds up
the air pushes against it and this can lift it a little off the ground which affects the tire’s grip
and may make the car unstable. The spoiler helps press the car down so the tires stay stable
on the track and the car feels more in control. This force or downward push is called
downforce and its really important.
But we have a problem because when the spoiler pushes the car down harder it also makes
more air resistance and this force is called drag force which slows the car down. Race car
engineers always try to balance getting as much downforce as possible while not making too
much drag force.
This research will explain how changing the angle of the rear spoiler can affect the car’s
speed and stability on the track. When the spoiler angle is smaller the car can go faster but
has less grip. When the angle is steeper the car sticks to the road better but it cannot reach a
very high speed. The goal of this investigation is to understand how the spoiler angle changes
a car’s speed and stability. It is expected that a steeper spoiler angle will make the car more
stable but slower on long straight parts of the track which is kinda tricky.
Introduction
In car racing every part of the vehicle is made to help it go faster and have better control on
the track. One of the most important parts is the rear spoiler. A rear spoiler is a flat or curved
piece at the back of the car that changes how air moves over it. When a sports car speeds up
the air pushes against it and this can lift it a little off the ground which affects the tire’s grip
and may make the car unstable. The spoiler helps press the car down so the tires stay stable
on the track and the car feels more in control. This force or downward push is called
downforce and its really important.
But we have a problem because when the spoiler pushes the car down harder it also makes
more air resistance and this force is called drag force which slows the car down. Race car
engineers always try to balance getting as much downforce as possible while not making too
much drag force.
This research will explain how changing the angle of the rear spoiler can affect the car’s
speed and stability on the track. When the spoiler angle is smaller the car can go faster but
has less grip. When the angle is steeper the car sticks to the road better but it cannot reach a
very high speed. The goal of this investigation is to understand how the spoiler angle changes
a car’s speed and stability. It is expected that a steeper spoiler angle will make the car more
stable but slower on long straight parts of the track which is kinda tricky.
Introduction
In car racing every part of the vehicle is made to help it go faster and have better control on
the track. One of the most important parts is the rear spoiler. A rear spoiler is a flat or curved
piece at the back of the car that changes how air moves over it. When a sports car speeds up
the air pushes against it and this can lift it a little off the ground which affects the tire’s grip
and may make the car unstable. The spoiler helps press the car down so the tires stay stable
on the track and the car feels more in control. This force or downward push is called
downforce and its really important.
But we have a problem because when the spoiler pushes the car down harder it also makes
more air resistance and this force is called drag force which slows the car down. Race car
engineers always try to balance getting as much downforce as possible while not making too
much drag force.
This research will explain how changing the angle of the rear spoiler can affect the car’s
speed and stability on the track. When the spoiler angle is smaller the car can go faster but
has less grip. When the angle is steeper the car sticks to the road better but it cannot reach a
very high speed. The goal of this investigation is to understand how the spoiler angle changes
a car’s speed and stability. It is expected that a steeper spoiler angle will make the car more
stable but slower on long straight parts of the track which is kinda tricky.