The first place we looked for information was on websites such as f1inschools.ie; about.com; howstuffworks.com;

Our initial research on these websites led us to the following aerodynamic terms:

Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object.

Drag refers to the force acting on an object through a fluid or gas (i.e. air).

Lift is the upward reaction of an object to the flow of air forced over the shape of the aerofoil.

Downforce is the vertical force directed in a downward direction, produced by airflow around an object. F1 cars need a lot of downforce to keep them on the track and keep up the speed around corners. Our car only needs to move in a straight line so we need to achieve a balance between both downforce and drag.

Laminar flow means the air is moving in smooth layers around the object. The more the air is forced around obstructions e.g. Mirrors, etc. the more turbulent the airflow.

Coefficient of Drag is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. Bernoulli's Equation states that if a fluid flows around an object at different speeds, the slower moving fluid will exert more pressure on the object than the faster moving fluid. The object will therefore be pushed toward the faster moving fluid, resulting in either lift or downforce.

Innovation

Our innovation idea was: Why not turn the car upside down? We thought why can't we create a flat surface on the top and allow the air to move straight across the top of car with as little friction as possible. At the moment the idea shown below is too blocky and would theoretically create downforce and drag, but with a few adjustments to the car it could be made into something

OUR SCRATCH ANNIMATION - SOME SCREEN SHOTS

Our research into aerodynamics showed us the numerous ways nature and humans have sought to achieve aerodynamic shapes to improve speed:

Bobsleigh - Bobsleighs must be aerodynamic in order to glide as fast as possible down snow-covered slopes		Concorde - Manufactured to travel faster than the speed of sound.
Fish - fish need to be aerodynamic to swim fast and smoothly in the water.		Trains - Trains need a neutral aerodynamic design in order to achieve speeds and this is the type of design we are aiming towards.
	Rockets - Rockets launched into space are required to reach mind-blowing speeds in order to break through the earth's atmosphere.		Sport - In most sports involving the use of a ball, the design of the ball must be aerodynamic, e.g. in golf, hurling, squash, tennis, soccer, etc
Snakes - Snakes need very fast lunges and reflexes in order to catch their prey. Therefore, they need to be very aerodynamic to survive.		Javelin - A javelin must be aerodynamic to ensure it travels the greatest distance possible. The same goes for arrows, and for spears used by warriors in the past.
Darts - Darts need to be aerodynamic for accuracy, etc.		Bullet - A bullet is extremely aerodynamic as seen when shot from a gun.	Ships - All ships must be aerodynamic in order to travel smoothly over water.