Lesson Overview
Students will discover the tradeoffs between cost, safety, and fuel efficiency by designing a structure than can withstand a large force without collapsing. In the second portion of this activity, students will use real data to calculate how much extra fuel is used by car electronics such as stereos, GPS devices, and DVD players.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
Explain why creating safer vehicles can decrease fuel efficiency and/or increase costs.
Describe the effect of automotive electronics on fuel efficiency.
Lesson Essential Questions
1. How do safety and fuel efficiency affect vehicle costs?
2. How does the use of electrical components affect fuel economy?
3. What are the factors that cause people to make choices about vehicles as far as safety, comfort and efficiency?