Stunt Car Drivers
Ever walk out of a movie having a conversation like this?: "Awesome. The car actually flips in the air, spins around, and crashes to the ground." "My favorite part was when that other car goes off the cliff." "Yeah, that was cool, too. How did they do that?" You can figure out how some of your favorite car-chase effects are produced.
- You will need: miniature race cars, strips of poster board about an inch wider than your cars, tape, large rubber bands, a clothespin, chairs, books, and whatever else you can think of to build the rough terrain, steep slopes, curves, and bumps of your chase scene.
- The strips of poster board are your road or track. Experiment with different designs until you find the one you like best for your chase scene. Tape the strips together if you need longer roadways. For a neat effect, include a bump somewhere in your design.
- Send your cars along their way and watch them closely. Where on the track do they speed up, slow down, or stop? How does the steepness of the track affect their speed? What do you need to do to make sure the car stays on the track after the bump? How does gravity affect the cars on your track?
- For your grand finale, how can you use your clothespin and/or rubber bands to make a car flip in the air, spin around, and crash? In the movies they use a "cannon car." How would you get the car to fall off a cliff? For this effect, they use a "slingshot car."
- Scientists know that when an object is moving in a direction, it tends to keep going that way. When does this happen with your car-chase effects?
Curious for an answer? Look Behind the Scenes.
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