Air Pressure and Rolling Resistance

Project Summary

Difficulty	5 – 7
Time required	Short (several days)

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Abstract

How does the air pressure in a tire affect the rolling resistance of a bicycle or wheelbarrow? Do you need more or less effort to move the bicycle (or wheelbarrow) as the air pressure is changed? Use a tire pressure gauge to monitor air pressure (don't exceed the recommended tire pressure). For the bicyle, you could probably use a spring scale to measure how much force is needed to pull the bicycle along (have a friend lightly touching the bike to keep it balanced). Quantifying the force needed to move the wheelbarrow will be a bit more difficult. You may have to resort to a 1–5 rating scale (e.g., where 1="I can do this all day," 2="takes a bit of effort," 3="a good workout," 4="pushing myself pretty hard," and 5="maximum effort.") For more advanced students, can you explain your results in terms of frictional forces?

Variations

For more science project ideas in this area of science, see Mechanical Engineering Project Ideas.

Last edit date: 2006-12-27 13:02:27

Career Focus

If you like this project, you might enjoy exploring careers in Mechanical Engineering.

CAD Technician
CAD (computer-aided design) technicians combine art and engineering to prepare the technical drawings and plans from which everything in the world is made--from toys to toasters, houses to hoses, satellites to sewer systems. CAD technicians are essential to the design and construction of everything you see around you. Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical engineers are part of your everyday life, designing the spoon you used to eat your breakfast, your breakfast's packaging, the flip-top cap on your toothpaste tube, the zipper on your jacket, the car, bike, or bus you took to school, the chair you sat in, the door handle you grasped and the hinges it opened on, and the ballpoint pen you used to take your test. Virtually every object that you see around you has passed through the hands of a mechanical engineer. Consequently, their skills are in demand to design millions of different products in almost every type of industry.

Mechanical Engineering Technician
You use mechanical devices every day—to zip and snap your clothing, open doors, refrigerate and cook your food, get clean water, heat your home, play music, surf the Internet, travel around, and even to brush your teeth. Virtually every object that you see around has been mechanically engineered or designed at some point, requiring the skills of mechanical engineering technicians to create drawings of the product, or to build and test models of the product to find the best design. Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairer
One of the basic truths in the universe is that objects tend to go from a state of higher organization to a state of lower organization over time. In other words, things break down, and when those things are precision instruments or equipment, they require the services of very specialized technicians to restore them to their working order. Precision instrument or equipment technicians often combine a love of music, medicine, electronics, or antiques with delicate mechanical repair work.

Commercial and Industrial Designer
Have you always loved art? Do you have a good eye for beauty, balance, and form? How would you like to see your designs show up in toy stores? Or in a sporting goods store? Or at a car dealer? Commercial and industrial designers create the shape and form of every type of manufactured good that you can think of—from toys, sporting goods, and medical equipment to high technology products, furniture, toothbrushes, and toasters. They design the form of new products that are as beautiful and pleasing to look at as they are functional.

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	CAD Technician CAD (computer-aided design) technicians combine art and engineering to prepare the technical drawings and plans from which everything in the world is made--from toys to toasters, houses to hoses, satellites to sewer systems. CAD technicians are essential to the design and construction of everything you see around you.			Mechanical Engineer Mechanical engineers are part of your everyday life, designing the spoon you used to eat your breakfast, your breakfast's packaging, the flip-top cap on your toothpaste tube, the zipper on your jacket, the car, bike, or bus you took to school, the chair you sat in, the door handle you grasped and the hinges it opened on, and the ballpoint pen you used to take your test. Virtually every object that you see around you has passed through the hands of a mechanical engineer. Consequently, their skills are in demand to design millions of different products in almost every type of industry.

	Mechanical Engineering Technician You use mechanical devices every day—to zip and snap your clothing, open doors, refrigerate and cook your food, get clean water, heat your home, play music, surf the Internet, travel around, and even to brush your teeth. Virtually every object that you see around has been mechanically engineered or designed at some point, requiring the skills of mechanical engineering technicians to create drawings of the product, or to build and test models of the product to find the best design.			Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairer One of the basic truths in the universe is that objects tend to go from a state of higher organization to a state of lower organization over time. In other words, things break down, and when those things are precision instruments or equipment, they require the services of very specialized technicians to restore them to their working order. Precision instrument or equipment technicians often combine a love of music, medicine, electronics, or antiques with delicate mechanical repair work.

	Commercial and Industrial Designer Have you always loved art? Do you have a good eye for beauty, balance, and form? How would you like to see your designs show up in toy stores? Or in a sporting goods store? Or at a car dealer? Commercial and industrial designers create the shape and form of every type of manufactured good that you can think of—from toys, sporting goods, and medical equipment to high technology products, furniture, toothbrushes, and toasters. They design the form of new products that are as beautiful and pleasing to look at as they are functional.

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Career Focus