ElementaryMBA

1. What is the main reason an Indianapolis 500 race car needs downforce?

To make the car look more aggressiveTo give the tires enough grip to corner at high speedTo reduce the car's fuel consumptionTo make the engine run cooler

2. What company builds every chassis used in the Indianapolis 500, and where is its U.S. factory located?

Honda, in Marysville, OhioDallara, in Speedway, IndianaPenske, in Mooresville, North CarolinaFerrari, in Maranello, Italy

3. What is the name of the current Indy car chassis used by all 33 cars in the Indianapolis 500?

IR-12IR-15IR-18IR-28

4. What is Newton's Third Law of Motion?

Force equals mass times accelerationAn object in motion stays in motionFor every action, there is an equal and opposite reactionEnergy cannot be created or destroyed

5. What is the difference between LIFT and DOWNFORCE?

Lift is bigger; downforce is smallerLift uses air; downforce uses gravityLift pushes objects up (airplanes); downforce pushes objects down (race cars). Same physics, opposite wing orientation.Lift happens on land; downforce happens in water

6. In the downforce equation F = ½ × ρ × v² × C × A, the v² term means that if you DOUBLE the speed of the car, the downforce becomes:

2 times greater4 times greater8 times greater16 times greater

7. What are the three primary aerodynamic surfaces on an Indy car?

Steering wheel, engine cover, exhaust pipeFront wing, rear wing, and floor (ground effect)Tires, brakes, and suspensionHood, doors, and trunk

8. What is the basic trade-off between DOWNFORCE and DRAG?

More of both is always betterMore downforce means more cornering grip but also more drag, which slows the car on straightsDrag and downforce are completely independent of each otherMore drag automatically reduces downforce

9. What does CFD stand for in aerodynamics engineering?

Carbon Fiber DesignComputational Fluid DynamicsCenter For DrivingCoefficient of Friction Drag

10. Which Indiana university offers the ONLY ABET-accredited Motorsports Engineering bachelor's degree in the United States?

Indiana UniversityNotre DamePurdue (Motorsports Engineering, in Indianapolis)Butler

Episode 4 — Quiz