An engineer wants to build a race car which will be able to speed up and slow down quickly. She is trying to determine which material to use to build the car. The table shows the materials she can choose from. Which material would best allow the car to speed up and slow down quickly?
Responses
aluminum
aluminum
copper
copper
lead
lead
steel
steel
To determine the best material for a race car that can speed up and slow down quickly, the engineer will need to consider multiple properties, such as strength, stiffness, and most importantly, weight. Acceleration (speeding up) and deceleration (slowing down) are directly affected by the mass of the car—the lighter the car, the less force required to change its speed.
Each of the materials listed has its own set of properties:
- Aluminum: It's lightweight and has a moderate strength-to-weight ratio, making it a common choice for many automotive applications.
- Copper: It is heavier than aluminum and while it has good electrical conductivity, it's not typically used for structural components in automobiles due to its weight and cost.
- Lead: It is very heavy and soft, with a low strength-to-weight ratio. It is not suitable for structural components where weight is a critical factor for performance.
- Steel: It's stronger and usually heavier than aluminum, though advanced high-strength steels can offer a good strength-to-weight ratio. It's often used in car structures due to its durability and cost-effectiveness.
Out of the materials listed, aluminum is likely the best option because it provides a good balance of strength and lightness, which would allow the car to accelerate and decelerate effectively. In the world of racing, designers often opt for materials like aluminum or even more advanced composites that offer high strength at much lower weights to maximize performance.