🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Pine.SGI.3.91.950329085251.21144A-100000@server.uwindsor.ca>, Maisonneuve  Michael Jaso <maisonn@server.uwindsor.ca> writes:
|> Ladies and Gentlemen, 
|> 
|> I have here what I can discribe only as a brutal science competition.  
|> This is the only event in which our school has decided to go out and look 
|> for serious help in.
|> 
|> Any help at all, suggestions, advice, tips...etc.  Will be appreciated.
|> 
|> The event is called "Massing a Car."
|> 
|> We will be presented with a car on a concrete floor in an auto shop and 
|> given a maximum of 10min to determine the mass of the car in Kg.
|> The car may be loaded unevenly (i.e., the weight of the car may not be 
|> equally distributed on the 4 tires).  The tires may or may not be of the 
|> same type (tread design, diameter, circumference, width etc.)
|> The car will remain locked during the exercise.  We may not lift the car 
|> in any manner, manually or mechanically.  We may not use any balances to 
|> measure the mass or the weight of the car directly.
|> We may measure any external features of the car (such as length, width, 
|> height, tire pressure, tire dimensions, etc.).  (We must bring our own 
|> measuring devices.)
|> Scoring is based on how close to the actual mass of the car as determined 
|> by the judges.  Ties will be determined by the shortest time taken to 
|> complete the task.
|> 
|> I can state that from previous years, time is of the essence!
|> 
|> I have given all of the information we know and would appreciate any 
|> responces.  
|> 
|> The date of the competition is April 29, 1995.
|> 
|> I will do my best to read the newsgroups I have posted this in as often 
|> as possible but unless you want to discuss an idea among others E-mail 
|> would be appreciated.
|> 
|> Thanks in advance for anyhelp...
|> 
|> Sean "Demetrius" Stephens
|> maisonn@server.uwindsor.ca
|> 
|> P.S. This is a high school competition in windsor ON, Canada.

 Will the car be in neutral or in park or don't you know?
If it can be pushed you can get it to move at constant velocity
and measure the force you are exerting.  Estimating the coefficient
of rolling friction will get you the mass.
-- 
*******************************************************************************
maven@hercules.lerc.nasa.gov   Larry Fishbach @ NASA Lewis Cleveland Ohio
"Everything here is my own opinion"   Quoth the Maven "Evermore"
*******************************************************************************