3 ms·
Due to some physics things that I don't understand, it actually ends up proportional to the cube of your velocity. source: presentation by Dr. Rizzoni at Cente
by jtuente 11y ago
Due to some physics things that I don't understand, it actually ends up proportional to the cube of your velocity.
source: presentation by Dr. Rizzoni at Center for Automotive Research at OSU
- semi-extrinsic 11y agoIt's actually neither square nor cubed, but you can use those approximations with varying success for different car shapes and Reynolds numbers. There are several different physical effects that together create drag: you have form drag, skin drag, interference drag, and even lift-induced drag (the last one essentially only on sports cars).
- mikeash 11y agoPower consumption is proportional to the cube. Aerodynamic drag i.e. force opposite the direction of travel is proportional to the square of your velocity. Power consumption for steady cruising is equal to drag multiplied by speed. Thus power consumption is proportional to the cube of speed.
- btilly 11y agoRight. And if you're measuring miles per gallon, you're interested in energy consumed per mile traveled, not energy consumed per second. And aerodynamic drag tells you energy consumed per mile traveled thanks to the relationship that energy is force times distance.