Confucius says

Most so called absolute math answers are really not cause of the ever expanding universe... LOL [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

I would like to hear your version of the acceleration process of a fueler. I expect it will support what is said on the dragster forums.

It seems that I and others have said multiple times that we know that this only an approximation. I have never said my answer is exact. However if you are looking for an answer to a math problem, given the assumption that the acceleration is constant in the last 1/8; my solution is correct.

I did not calculate the acceleration by looking at the time to cover the last 66 feet. The only one that said he calculated to the foot was the guy with the speadsheet. My calculation says that the acceleration is constant over the last 1/8 mile.

I do not see this as a pissing match, I see it only as a discussion.

 

Two guys walk into a bar, the third one ducks! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

yup thats me [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] and in order for the distances to be covered in the amount of time available and accelerate from the 268 to the 336 certain things have to take place.. Now if you tell me that the car actually travels faster than the top speed at the end of thetrack. well then i could be wrong.

 

That sure looks down to the foot to me.

You did not use the time for the last 66' to calculate the speed, the speed was given in the word problem. The issue arises in the fact that drag racing trap speeds are calculated this way, hence the are simply an average speed over that distance, not taking acceleration into account. It's just one more factor that makes a true answer impossible to achieve, only an approximation.

Now, if you could get into the computer and get the exact time that it entered the "traps" and the exact time it exited, your approximation would be much closer. Unfortunatly, we have no times at all for the dragster, and no sure way to get them, so a close guess is as close as anyone could come.

*edit* I went back and noticed that the top fuel record time was added to the original post, so I stand corrected about no times at all. Still, without supporting times such as reaction times, it's still a guess.

 

All that matters is the 660 foot speed / Time and the finish speed / tim. with that set of data being known. Some things have to happen.. is the speed at the end of the track not the top speed of the car? if thats the case I don't know how to calculate it. otherwise. the car is not really accelerating at the end but running on the rev limiter

 

What is the amount of time to accelerate from 268 to 336, and how did you get that time?
The car doesn't travel faster than the top speed, but the simple formulations used, assume that it's doing 302MPH at 3/16th of a mile, when it likely is not. Due to the downward curve of acceleration at that point, it's actually traveling faster than the 302MPH assumed.

*edit* If we want to talk reality, the reported top speed of the car is not the actuall top speed, but an average speed for the last 66'. So it actually enters the traps at one speed, exits at another due to acceleration, and an average of the two is what's reported. It is done this way because it's the most acurate way to measure the speed at the finish, but is not 100% correct. It is close enough for racing purposes though, and since all drag races are measured this way, it offers a standard basis for compairison.

 

--------------------------------Top-Fuel-Dragster
--------Time-SC Dist----Distance-ft/sec-Speed-mph
---------3.05---894.67--660.00--393.07--268.00
---------3.10---909.33--680.10--402.05--274.13
---------3.15---924.00--700.65--411.03--280.25
---------3.20---938.67--721.66--420.02--286.38
---------3.25---953.33--743.11--429.00--292.50
---------3.30---968.00--765.00--437.98--298.63
---------3.35---982.67--787.35--446.97--304.75
---------3.40---997.33--810.15--455.95--310.88
---------3.45--1012.00--833.40--464.93--317.00
---------3.50--1026.67--857.09--473.92--323.13
---------3.55--1041.33--881.24--482.90--329.25
---------3.60--1056.00--905.89--493.02--336.15
---------3.65--1070.67--930.54--493.02--336.15
---------3.70--1085.33--955.19--493.02--336.15
---------3.75--1100.00--979.84--493.00--336.15
---------3.80--1114.67-1004.49--493.00--336.15
---------3.85--1129.33-1029.14--493.00--336.15
---------3.90--1144.00-1053.79--493.00--336.15
---------3.95--1158.67-1078.44--493.00--336.15
---------4.00--1173.33-1103.09--493.00--336.15
---------4.05--1188.00-1127.74--493.00--336.15
---------4.10--1202.67-1152.39--493.00--336.15
---------4.15--1217.33-1177.04--493.00--336.15
---------4.20--1232.00-1201.69--493.00--336.15
---------4.25--1246.67-1226.34--493.00--336.15
---------4.30--1261.33-1250.99--493.00--336.15
---------4.35--1276.00-1275.64--493.00--336.15
--------4.351--1276.29-1276.13--493.00--336.15
--------4.352--1276.59-1276.63--493.00--336.15
--------4.353--1276.88-1277.12--493.00--336.15
--------4.354--1277.17-1277.61--493.00--336.15
--------4.355--1277.47-1278.11--493.00--336.15
--------4.356--1277.76-1278.60--493.00--336.15
--------4.357--1278.05-1279.09--493.00--336.15
--------4.358--1278.35-1279.58--493.00--336.15
--------4.359--1278.64-1280.08--493.00--336.15
---------4.36--1278.93-1280.57--493.00--336.15
---------4.37--1281.87-1285.50--493.00--336.15
---------4.38--1284.80-1290.43--493.00--336.15
---------4.39--1287.73-1295.36--493.00--336.15
---------4.40--1290.67-1300.29--493.00--336.15
---------4.41--1293.60-1305.22--493.00--336.15
---------4.42--1296.53-1310.15--493.00--336.15
---------4.43--1299.47-1315.08--493.00--336.15
---------4.44--1302.40-1320.00--493.00--336.15
---------4.45--1305.33
---------4.50--1320.00

 

Column Titles
Time = Time on the track
SC Dist = Stock Cars position on the track at given time
Distance = Top fuels position on the track at given time
Ft/sec = how many feet per second the Top fuel is traveling
Speed MPH = Of course how many MPH the top fuel is going

Soo has you can see the amount of ground that must be covered by the car in the last 660 feet of the track maximum speed must be reached for that run at the 905' mark on the track. everything else is just what it is.

 

Actually any approximate answer will be correct as a drag car never runs "or extremely rare" the same times more than once. =]

I guess you can say our answers are as accurate as when they try to figure collateral damage for nuclear devices. It's imposable to have an accurate body count, but it's fun as héll to figure out. lol. =]