The Ultimate Automotive Physics Quiz

Correct Answer!: An internal combustion engine uses four strokes: intake, compression, combustion, exhaust.

Correct Answer!: It’s inline, V and flat

Correct Answer!: The third common problem is bad fuel mix, which can be caused by a number of factors, including water in the gas tank and the age-old “you’re out of gas.”

Correct Answer!: The pistons need oil to keep moving smoothly. If they don’t, everything else grinds to a halt, too.

Correct Answer!: In a gas engine, the spark from the spark plugs ignites the fuel. In a diesel engine, the fuel is ignited by the heat and pressure of the compression stroke in the cylinder.

Correct Answer!: The camshaft operates the valves. You might have heard of “overhead cams,” which means the camshaft is above the valves.

Correct Answer!: The radiator and water pump comprise the cooling system in most cars — in the Volkswagen Beetle, however, the engine is air-cooled.

Correct Answer!: Carburetors were basically rendered obsolete by fuel injection.

Correct Answer!: The catalytic converter basically is the emission control system — it monitors unused fuel and other chemicals in the exhaust.

Correct Answer!: Downforce is the opposite of lift — the force that presses an object in the direction of the ground.

Correct Answer!: As an object accelerates, it’s velocity and drag increase.

Correct Answer!: Drag increases and becomes equal to weight as a car’s speed increases. More and more air pushes against it and eventually restricts its speed.

Correct Answer!: Low drag coefficient = more aerodynamic

Correct Answer!: The equation is too complicated to go into here, but it comes out to around .3 for most cars.

Correct Answer!: SUVs and pickup trucks are bigger and boxier — and therefore less aerodynamic — than cars, so they have a slightly higher drag coefficient, usually about .4.

Correct Answer!: Reducing a car’s drag coefficient by .01 can result in a 0.2 miles per gallon (.09 kilometers per liter) increase in fuel economy.

Correct Answer!: The Prius has a drag coefficient of .26, which is part of why it gets such good gas mileage.

Correct Answer!: The Chrysler Airflow had a drag coefficient of only .27, but it flopped because consumers didn’t like the way it looked.

Correct Answer!: Wind tunnels are now increasingly used just to test the accuracy of computer simulations.

Correct Answer!: F1 racecars are so lightweight and hit such high speeds that they can begin to experience lift. So downforce is maximized with wings and spoilers that channel airflow toward the ground.