Comments on: Monster Trucks have a lot of science going on http://www.homelyscientist.com/2007/05/monster-trucks-have-a-lot-of-science-going-on/ Science at home from a science geek. Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:15:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Tris Hussey http://www.homelyscientist.com/2007/05/monster-trucks-have-a-lot-of-science-going-on/comment-page-1/#comment-596 Tris Hussey Mon, 14 May 2007 20:26:07 +0000 http://www.homelyscientist.com/2007/05/14/monster-trucks-have-a-lot-of-science-going-on/#comment-596 Dave ... great point! I could really see that happening when those buggers hit the ground. I noticed they slowed down a bit before launching in space, probably to slow down the rotational energy a bit. Dave … great point! I could really see that happening when those buggers hit the ground. I noticed they slowed down a bit before launching in space, probably to slow down the rotational energy a bit.

]]> By: Dave http://www.homelyscientist.com/2007/05/monster-trucks-have-a-lot-of-science-going-on/comment-page-1/#comment-600 Dave Mon, 14 May 2007 20:09:28 +0000 http://www.homelyscientist.com/2007/05/14/monster-trucks-have-a-lot-of-science-going-on/#comment-600 Don't forget the rotational energy, too. Four 660 pound (300 kg) tires, when spinning at a couple of hundred RPM, will have quite a bit of stored rotational energy. Due to the law of conservation of (angular) momentum, if those tires stop (or start) spinning while the truck is in the air, well, something else has to start spinning, such as the truck itself. Couple this with the rotational momentum of the engine, transmission, and drive train, and this means that any change in the (angular) speed of the drive train while the vehicle is in the air can make the truck pitch and roll. And, I bet y'all thought it was easy to jump cars in a monster truck. :-) Dave Don’t forget the rotational energy, too. Four 660 pound (300 kg) tires, when spinning at a couple of
hundred RPM, will have quite a bit of stored rotational energy. Due to the law of conservation of (angular) momentum, if those tires stop (or start) spinning while the truck is in the air, well, something else has to start spinning, such as the truck itself. Couple this with the rotational momentum of the engine, transmission, and drive train, and this means that any change in the (angular) speed of the drive train while the vehicle is in the air can make the truck pitch and roll.

And, I bet y’all thought it was easy to jump cars in a monster truck. :-)

Dave

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