Automotive Physics Engineering eXperience

The Automotive Physics Engineering eXperience at Citrus College aligns intermediate school math and science standards with the engineering of a car. The program is funded by a Career Technical Education grant, Lucas Oil and the Technician Development Center at Citrus College. Description Students learn how an automobile works while focusing on mathematical and scientific principles. Topics include:

o Simple machines o Torque and horsepower o Geometry (steering, suspension, center of gravity) o Fluid/hydraulics (Pascal’s Law) o Electrical (Ohm’s Law and Watt’s Law) o Chemistry (Combustion, fuel) o Gear Reduction and Ratios (Torque and Speed) o Friction o Vacuum/Pressure (Boyle’s Law/Venturi Effect) o Mass/Inertia (Engine theory) o Aerodynamics o Heat

Teamwork and problem solving are emphasized during the program. Students earn points to exchange performance upgrades as each team builds and “improves” their go karts. The program concludes with each team member driving their kart in timed trials on the “APEX Motor Speedway” at Citrus College. This year’s team with the best performance in timed trials was the Grey Team. The Automotive Physics Engineering eXperience at Citrus College is funded by a grant through the, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office awarded to Citrus College for the Career-Technical Education Pathways Initiative (SB70 grant award #10-140-821) and donations from Lucas Oil and the Technician Development Center.

Automotive Physics Engineering eXperience

KICK THE TIRES AND LIGHT THE FIRES!

The APEX at Citrus College began with sixteen Northview Intermediate School students taking a seat in a college classroom on July 9, 2012.

underway with discussions of expectations, introductions, and team assignments. A current Citrus College automotive technology student was assigned as a Crew Chief to each team. We then revved up the competition! Understanding they were competing for necessary points to assemble their karts and “purchase” additional high performance add-ons; the gray, blue, red, yellow and orange teams exploded to life.

Day one got

APEX Gasoline Alley

We could not end the first day without a trip to the APEX Gasoline Alley where teams installed the roll bars on their karts. It was a perfect connection to an earlier classroom discussion on vehicle safety.

Applying Math and Science:

Coming back from their first homework assignment, which required the students to locate simple machines around their house, they explored the physics of simple machines and how each applied to their karts. By the end of the day they installed the rack & pinion steering system (a complex machine made up of a lever, axle and pulleys/gears).

In lab, teams calculated air resistance, explored combustion chemistry and watched combustion in a glass engine at 2500 rpm. They tore down their own engines and measured, measured and measured… The first two of Newton’s Laws were discussed and students watched an outside force (a wall) act upon an object in motion (IRL test chassis). What followed was a great discussion about seatbelts and HANS devices.

Working Hard! By the end of the second week students had been working hard in the shop and had become proficient with hand tools. In the APEX garage every team finished assembling their engines. Students learned about viscosity, cooling, sealing, and the lubricating properties of oils. The teams then installed the engines and finished up the karts. This meant it was time for the crew chiefs to build the racetrack; and it was time for performance driving instruction from our resident racecar driver and instructor, Dennis Korn.

Qualifying Day! Who gets the pole?

Mr. Korn met with the students to discuss flags and track safety . They learned about driving through a corner, corner entry, apex and corner exit. They also learned the critical roll the tires play in relation to braking, cornering, and acceleration.

Out on the track, students began by driving around a pair of cones to practice braking and cornering, two very important aspects of racing. Mr. Korn had the students “walk the track” to demonstrate the apex of each corner. Then it was time for “lead - follow”. Mr. Korn drove the race line and each student took a turn driving behind him.

Everyone had a great time and the day ended with each student driving the track one at a time. All the karts held up well, we only needed the caution flag once for a mechanical failure which was quickly remedied in the pit. The students built some great karts!

RACE DAY CITRUS COLLEGE APEX MOTOR SPEEDWAY

My goodness what an amazing finish to a great program! The students worked hard to get ready for the big race. Each team began APEX with a frame. They built the engines, rack and pinion steering, and double wishbone suspension and engineered themselves one high performance go kart. Race Day was superb! Not a single team suffered any mechanical difficulties; a true testament to the student’s mechanical skills, understanding of the engineering and their watchful crew chiefs. We fit in three heats of racing. Each team member contributed their best time to the team average. Competition was tough, the teams drove well and the averages were very close. In the end, the difference between 1st and 2nd place was twelve hundredths (0.12) of a second!

Acknowledgements: Without the publically funded Career Technical Education (CTE) Act, the three college partnership of Citrus, Mt. San Antonio and Rio Hondo Colleges would not be possible – thank you to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office for funding San Gabriel Valley CTE Community Collaborative (SB70 grant award #10-140-821). Thank you Lucas Oil Products; your sponsorship and Mr. Mark S. Sromalla‘s support of this pilot program was invaluable and we are grateful. Mike Slavich, Claudia Romo, and dedicated faculty representing Rio Hondo College are recognized by the partnership as the pioneers of successful summer career experiences for middle school students – thank you for your inspiration, advice and courage to follow your lead. Jim Lancaster and Jeremy Clark designed and ‘engineered’ APEX. Their collaboration IS the apex (defined as the summit, top, peak) and we felt lucky to be on the journey with them PLUS the view from the top, as students completed timed trials on APEX Race Track, was fantastic and magical. Jim Lancaster is dean, Curriculum, Career/Technical and Continuing Education at Citrus College. Northview Intermediate School (NV) is an ‘ideal’ partner; everyone at NV is an advocate for student success and appreciative of every opportunity to improve student success. Dr. Michael Chavez, Principal supported the endeavor each step of the way and joined his students on campus throughout their APEX adventure. Ms. Michelle Randall, Vice Principal was an invaluable implementer and Ms. Duarte, Ms. Yamauchi and front office staff made it happen. We thank the Duarte Unified School District for their supporting contributions, the parents and students for enriching the project making the pilot a success. Jeremy Clark, faculty translated the instructional concept to 7th and 8th grade learners and for many weeks we witnessed “wheels” turning with the power of positive energy boosted by collaboration with Jim Lancaster and faculty in the Technician Development Center at Citrus College. Instructional personnel aimed high and students hit every target no matter how hard or advanced the content was – the Northview Intermediate students excelled and represented their school with pride. Their photos tell the story at Facebook.com/CitrusCollegeAPEX. Mr. Eric Ramos Math instructor from Northview Intermediate School served as team teacher and he accentuated the ‘real world’ application of math! We appreciate Mr. Ramos for all of his contributions but we know the students appreciated his counsel when analyzing the cost/benefit ratio of which performance upgrades to “buy” for the team go kart. The Citrus College students representing the Technician Development Center were the best of the best! Team leader contributions were in excess of 500 a day – thanks for 8,500 plus APEX contributions by: Aaron McClellan - Blue Team, Bernard Jacobo - Yellow Team, Patricia Barroso - Grey Team, Daniel Betance - Orange Team and Justin Kendall - Red Team. Planning & daily activities by Marti DeYoung, Terry Adams, Elizabeth Rodarte-Saldaña & Jackie Munoz. THANKS TO: Dennis Korn, faculty, APEX Racetrack design, driving instruction, and race statistics

Herb Adams, Photographer Citrus College Purchasing Team (Bob Iverson, Bob Lopez & Bernece Deck) Citrus College Fiscal Team (Rosalinda Buchwald & Sandy Evans) Citrus College Reprographics Campus Safety Team

Citrus College Board of Trustees

Mrs. Susan M. Keith, President Claremont and portions of Pomona and La Verne Representative

Dr. Patricia Rasmussen, Vice President Glendora and portions of San Dimas Representative

Mrs. Joanne Montgomery, Clerk/Secretary Monrovia/Bradbury and portions of Duarte Representative

Dr. Edward C. Ortell, Member Duarte and portions of Azusa, Monrovia, Arcadia, Covina

and Irwindale Representative Dr. Gary L. Woods, Member

Azusa and portions of Duarte Representative Mr. Crescencio Calderon, Student Representative

Geraldine M. Perri, Ph.D. Superintendent/President