EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

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gpraceman
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EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by gpraceman »

I stumbled across this video that I thought was very well done. Helps explain the science in an easy to understand way and even goes into rail riding.


https://youtu.be/-RjJtO51ykY
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by sporty »

Not a bad video. Don't agree with a few things. But not to bad
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by Noskills »

Very nicely done. I also think his COM is not aggressive enough but the man is very articulate and even entertaining which I have not seen before.
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by FatSebastian »

sporty wrote:Don't agree with a few things.
The explanation of the benefits of canted axles (9:48) seemed incorrect. The benefits are mainly from reduced rolling friction with the track and decreased probability of contact with the central rail, rather than the hub rubbing against the nail head instead of the body as explained.
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by FatSebastian »

Noskills wrote:I also think his COM is not aggressive enough
The value of 0.9" is a recommendation that comes from Dr. Acton's video, whose cars did not rail ride.
Noskills wrote:the man is very articulate and even entertaining
There is some excellent camera work. For example, notice the racing shots with car-mounted cameras (14:22).

Nicely done.
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by sporty »

I guess I should mention what I felt was off. I choose initially not to to not wanting to be over critical or get into debates.
The axle alignment with canted axles I always found harder then drilling. That's just me. But I also felt his comments about graphite was not correct. Have seen differences in time very a car length. With what you use.
I also feel there is a difference from grooved axles to non grooved. But thats also connected to different prep. Wax and or oil both. Which was never discussed.
Weight placement height is a car length factor to from on top to inside or under the body.
That got bypassed. Just balance point/ com was.
But I didn't want to over pick on the video. Just seemed flawed.
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by gpraceman »

It certainly is not perfect, but it was educational and entertaining. If some total noob followed this video and nothing else, they could build a respectably competitive car. To me, that is the most important thing.
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by resullivan »

The main reason I cant the axles is so that the wheels migrate to the axle head.
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by whodathunkit »

sporty wrote:Not a bad video. Don't agree with a few things. But not to bad
But I didn't want to over pick on the video. Just seemed flawed.
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Sporty,

Do you feel that Mason Millers car could have won the gravity powerd only car race?

Had the Co2 powered car not crashed into Masons car hitting the right rear wheel first and..
then sending his car flying in to the air to only have the left rear also hit on the finsh line post.
View 13:47-48 then also stop on 13:55.

If feel like Mason Millers car could have won or at least been in a closer race..
had this not happed to his car.
So like you the video just seems to be flawed.
And what's the science.. about what happens to alignment on a car thats been crashed.
just my take on it.
Last edited by whodathunkit on Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:30 am, edited 4 times in total.
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by gpraceman »

whodathunkit wrote:If like Jason's car could have won or at least been a closer race had this not happed to his car.
Did that collision with the CO2 car happen before or after the face off of the gravity powered cars? The video sequence doesn't necessarily mean that that was the sequence in reality.

What may be more telling is when his 45 minute car faced off with the car from the other top racer (not his son's car).
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by whodathunkit »

gpraceman wrote:
whodathunkit wrote:If feel like Jason's car could have won or at least been a closer race had this not happed to his car.
Sorry I may have his name wrong Randy. It's Mason and not Jason.

And he said in the video .. after the race he asked to borrow Masons car.
14:10 - 14:19
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by sporty »

I'm not sure what you are asking me. I'm confused.

The 45 minute car. Had lighter wheels and was 3 wheel rail rider.i do not know. Or did he say how much lighter they were.
The lower profile exstended wheel base car was not a rail rider or 3 wheel car. Al test that's what I gathered.
Due to not going into more depth on that comparison. That's was what the impression I took from the video.
Mason's car still won against the 45 minute car.

It was just overall flawed video.
But good for kids to get a idea.
Not sure it was really a science video. Either
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by gpraceman »

sporty wrote:It was just overall flawed video.
But good for kids to get a idea.
Sure, we can nit pick this video over this detail or that. However, I still do think that it can help someone who has never built a car to make a respectably competitive car. Certainly better than many of the cars that I have seen race where they were lucky to have 45 minutes into the build. It is a good starting point.
sporty wrote:Not sure it was really a science video. Either
I'm not sure why you think that. It is based on Dr. Acton's experiments and goes over the concepts of potential and kinetic energy, moment of inertia, and friction in a way most people can understand. So, I certainly would say there was science behind it.

The guy admittedly said that Dr. Acton's experiments were not with a rail rider configuration. I'd certainly be interested if he redid his experiments using a rail rider. I'd also like to see the "Other" item from his list, be broken out.
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by sporty »

Randy,

You are understanding ? That I have been trying to convey that it is okay video for kids..

If you are asking me to go into why I feel it's not very scientific. Why i feel this way.
It would Co inside with the fact. I have openly shared here over the year's and done detailed testing and data. And have built over 500 cars.

And i think i have proven the process. Not just my process e's but overall the info. Buy many others using the info and seeing the same things and doing just as well. If not better then me with the info.
The data plane and simple is not accurate enough to be viewed as accurate science.
The distance comparison shared. Shown in his list to the right. Is off.
But yes. If we look at the standard energy explaining. This is about right on.

I spent 4 hours a day to 6 hours a day. 7 days a week running and testing. Murph, quadad, woodworx. They know I was really putting that much time in testing and tuning and learning.
When you don't give much info. I simply will not ever agree it was scientific.
And I could not determine right away. If the video was for kids or for science. Because he seems to have a mixture of videos. That seem to hinge on one or the other.
I don’t know who dr. Action is. But he needs to do some more testing.

The real honest issue. Any parent knows. When a child sees that video. Wow. The Co powered car. You see that. ? Play that again.
Why was that even mixed or added in. Next ask the kids what they got from seeing the video. Bet #1 answer would be tape weight on top of the car.
Remove the Co power stuff out of the video. And id then be proud enough of it to share it.
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Re: EASY Pinewood Derby Car WINS using Science

Post by whodathunkit »

Thanks Sporty,
I was just woundering why you diden't agree with a few things.. and feel thay were flawed.
What type of automobile can be spelled the same forwards & backwards?
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