I'll admit, my best gas mileage is when I let up on the throttle a bit, however, I like to get where I am going, and have enough time left upon arriving, to enjoy what I went there for in the first place. In other words, I like to kick it! Remember, if you ain't the lead dog, the view never changes... ;) Quoting Howard Jackman <sumoetx@yahoo.com>:
I read today in the Tribune an article that supports Patricks findings on his gas mileage. (not that I don't trust you Patrick, but a little support always helps right?) Click&Clack (Car section) answered a question about Speed vs. Mileage and state that the average best MPG on cars is in the 45-55mph range, after you go over 55 mph you begin to lose the advantage of high gear/relatively slow running engine. Plus wind resistance increases as a square of the speed you are traveling so at 70 mph the wind resistance is nearly double as at 50mph.
If I could only convince myself that moving so slowly was worth it! Maybe around the $3 a gallon point I guess.
Also in the Tribune today (Close-up Jordan edition) was an article that Chuck might be interested in, I don't know if his daughter is old enough but the Utah Science Center and the UofU are looking for entries to the 2006 Science and Engineering Fair for students grade 5-12. They are also looking for Volunteer Judges and other Volunteer positions. The Fair will be March 30-31 at the Tower at Rice-Eccles stadium at the U.
It's open to all students in the Salt Lake, Granite, Murray, and Tooele schoole districts. Charter, private aand home taught students are also encouraged to sign up.
The link they give to sign up or get more info is http://www.utahsciencecenter.org/sciencefair. I belive the link to volunteer is also there.
As a side note I remember my own 9th grade science fair in which my friend and I built a wind tunnel using a defunct fish tank, an old computer fan, a bunch of straws and a bowl of dry ice. We placed various objects inside to show the movement of the air over them,Blocks, modle cars, etc.. my F-16 model looked the best but the homemade wooden 'wedge'- really just a slightly curved airfoil was the least resistant. Of course we also had charts explaining airfoils, how planes are able to fly, the effect of a cars shape on its gas mileage etc. we took first but I don't remember ever being invited to compete at the district level, the best thing about the night however was when we shorted out the entire second floor when our hard wired fan's wires got crossed, I can still smell the burning rubber insulation and see the brief but very bright blue spark. Now that I think of it maybe that's why no invitation was made.
Howard
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