athlete or machine? presented by dominic nolan. the royal academy of engineering
TRANSCRIPT
Athlete or Machine?
www.raeng.org.uk/athleteormachine
Presented by Dominic Nolan. The Royal Academy of Engineering
Investigate the big question: athlete or machine?•Practical activities and testing
•Mathematics activities
•Science activities
•Engineer/athlete video
•Student led
•Independent investigation
•Higher level thinking
•Scheme of work for STEM day or STEM club
Make a 1:5 bob skeleton sled
•90 minute make
•Cheap materials
•Basic tools and equipment
Make a launcher
Make some timing gates (if you have the time)
Achieving launch pressure consistency
Bob Skeleton
•1500m track
•150 m vertical drop
•143 km/h (40 m/s, 89 mph)
•Athletes times differ by tenths of seconds
•Rules for sled’s dimensions, mass and materials
•33 – 43 kg sled
•Amy Williams - Olympic gold 2010
•www.youtube.com
CHALLENGE
•Make a model of a bob skeleton sled
•See how far you can launch a Barbie!
•Present an answer to the question:
Athlete or Machine?
Which is more important in the sport of bob skeleton?
Make a 1:5 bob skeleton sled
•Make the runners by bending the metal rod
•Attach runners to pod with cable ties
•Make sled’s launch tube using acetate sheet, tape and a plastic nose cone (check that it fits onto the pump’s launch tube)
•Fix the launch tube to the pod with double-sided sticky pads
Launch the model bob skeleton sled.
Launch Barbie!
FactorsWeight
The athlete’s shape
The athlete’s position
Aerodynamic lift
Steering
Clothing and equipment
Starting
Corners
Ergonomics (how the body fits a product)
Track incline (the slope down the length of the track)
Friction on the ice
Aerodynamic drag (air resistance)
Tuning the characteristics of the skeleton
Material choice
Sled runners
Potential Energy (PE) = m x g x h
Change in PE for our athlete and sled =
144 639 Joules (J)
Kinetic Energy (KE) = ½ x m x v2
0.5 x 97 kg x (40.23 x 40.23) = 78495 JThe bob skeleton: kinetic energy gained during a run
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
140000
160000
180000
200000
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
Speed in metres per second (m/s)
Kin
etic
en
erg
y (J
ou
les)
Amy Williams max speed
Max speed if all PE transferred into KE
Mass (m) of athlete and sled = 97kg
Vertical drop of track (h) =
152m
1450m
(diagram not to scale)
Gravity (g) = 9.81 m/s2
Energy transfer
Why isn’t the all of the athlete’s and
sled’s potential energy transferred into
kinetic energy?
Calculating friction force
Ff = x m x g
Ff = …………………………
= Mu, the coefficient of friction (steel on ice = 0.03).
m = Mass (kg).
g = The acceleration due to the gravity, which is 9.81 m/s2.
What is the friction force acting on the runners of a bob skeleton sled and
athlete with the combined mass of 97 kg (athlete = 68 kg, sled = 29 kg)?
Calculating drag force
FDRAG = ½ x x CD x Af x V2
FDRAG = ………………………….
= 1.2 kg/m3 (density of air)
CD = 0.45 (drag coefficient of athlete and sled)
Af = 0.139 m2 (frontal area of athlete and sled)
V = 40 m/s (velocity)
Calculate the drag force acting on the athlete and
sled as they travel down the track at 40 m/s?
What is the total force resisting the
forward movement of the athlete and
her sled down the track?
FTOTAL = ……………………………………
Between which velocities is friction
force dominant?
………………………………………………..
Between which velocities is drag force
dominant?
………………………………………………..
You can compare the two forces on the
graph here.
10
0
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Speed in metres/second (m/s)
Fo
rce
in
Ne
wto
ns
(N
)
Prove that it is better to be heavy and narrow when competing inThe sport of bob skeleton.
ATHLETE 1
Total mass: 97 kg
Af: 0.139 m2
ATHLETE 2
Total mass: 100 kg
Af: 0.129 m2
Athlete or Machine?Which is more important in the sport of bob
skeleton?
•Discuss this question with your partner/team
•Present your answer to the rest of the group