Ever wondered how NASCAR drivers can walk away from fiery crashes relatively unharmed? Why race cars drive so close together? Are you interested in learning about fireproof underwear?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you should definitely have a look at The National Science Foundation’s special report on the physics behind race car driving, The Science of Speed. This fun series of videos explains concepts like drag, friction, momentum and balance in the context of exciting car races and interviews with drivers like Jeff Gordon.

Here are a few examples (please ignore the error message; click the play button to start the video):

Drag and Drifting

Car Safety

Friction and Heat

Filed under: e-News, Mechanical, Transportation

Tags: Cars, Mechanical, Transportation