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The Car Aerodynamics Quiz

1. The term used to define and measure the air


resistance acting against a moving car is…
coefficient of drag
lemniscate of Bernoulli
frictional eigenvalue
2. Imagine a moving car. The area directly in front of
the car is an area of…
lower air pressure
higher air pressure
a perfect vacuum
3. What happens when air struggles to fill the void
left behind a car that's moving forward?
The low pressure area behind the car "pulls" on the car, creating drag.
The air rushes into the void and pushes the car forward.
The low pressure area creates lift that reduces the traction of the rear tires.
4. What is the term for air molecules that behave in a
chaotic manner, moving in multiple directions
instead of a consistent flow?
turbulence
resistance
drafting
5. What is it called when air molecules break away
from the car's surface and become turbulent?
flow separation
delamination
the Venturi effect
6. What is the name for the layer of air molecules
that forms along the surfaces of a moving object,
such as a car?
viscosity layer
boundary layer
diffusion layer
7. Which part of a car's bodywork helps create an
area of low pressure underneath the car?
windshield
rear spoiler
front splitter
8. What is the optimal cross-sectional shape for
suspension components that are exposed to the air
(such as in open wheel race cars)?
round
oval
square
9. Along with coefficient of drag, the most important
aerodynamic aspect of a car's shape is…
frontal area
height
roof curvature
10. The best shape for a car's rear window is…
a flat panel that angles in toward the passenger compartment
a flat vertical panel
a gradual slope
11. What helps create an area of high pressure over
a car's trunk, negating the low pressure created by
the rear window?
a wing
a spoiler
brake cooling vents
12. Does a wing on a race car act the same as a wing
on an airplane?
Yes, but a wing on a car is inverted to provide downforce instead of lift.
No, it's a misconception that they perform similar functions because they
were given similar names.
Yes, but other parts of the car's design must work to overcome the lift
created by the wing.
13. Which of these does NOT help create low air
pressure underneath a car?
a raked angle, with the front of the car closer to the ground than the rear
ram air intake on the hood
side skirts
14. Why does the trailing car gain speed when
"drafting" another car (or truck)?
It's riding the wave of turbulence created by the lead car.
It's driving in the low pressure area created by the lead car and therefore
doesn't have to push through as much air.
The flow separation from the lead car pushes more air into the trailing car's
engine, increasing the horsepower.
15. A wing with an aggressive angle of attack
generates both downforce and…
lift
drag
the Venturi effect
16. NACA ducts can be used to reduce what?
lift
frontal area
the size of the boundary layer
17. What does a rear diffuser do?
seal off the area beneath the car, keeping all air flow out
expand the area under the car, accelerating the movement of air out from
under the car, increasing downforce.
dissipate turbulence from the wheel wells
18. As a car's velocity doubles, what happens to the
amount of drag it experiences?
It remains the same.
It quadruples.
It increases ten times.
19. What is a potential problem when a race car
drafts another car very closely?
reduced fuel efficiency
over-revving the engine
overheating
20. To minimize drag, elements that project from the
main body of the car, like mirrors, should be
placed…
very close to the main body
as far from the body as is practical
in front of a wing or spoiler

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