Cycling

Cycling

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
This task is about cycling and air resistance.
This diagram shows where the air goes when a cyclist is riding.

Question

a) i)  Aroha and Sarah are both cycling to school. Aroha is in front.
         Which cyclist has to use more energy? (Choose one)

    • Sarah

    • Aroha

ii) Explain why.

Question 1Change answer

b)  Bike racers' clothing can improve their performance by helping them to save energy. 
i)  Name a feature of bike racers' clothing that does this. 
ii) How does the feature you have named help save the riders' energy?
Task administration: 

This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online.

This assessment task could be used as a group assessment. The range of possibilities for question a) should promote discussion. Each group could come to a decision and be prepared to justify it. 
Listening to students' ideas will give extra information about their thinking.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Communicating in science, Physical World
Keywords: 
physics concepts, forces, air resistance, bicycles
Description of task: 
Task: Describe which cyclist uses more energy and why. Assessment focus: forces created by air resistance.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Interpret representations
This resource provides opportunities to discuss:
  • the meaning conveyed by arrows in specific science diagrams.
  • the evidence provided in a diagram that can be used to make inferences.
Making Better Sense: 
Forces
Answers/responses: 
Answers/responses

Y8 (05/2004)

a)

i)
ii)

Aroha.
Aroha pushes air out of the way and over the top of Sarah. This reduces the amount of air that Sarah has to push out of the way and hence lessens the amount of work she has to do to maintain the same speed.

easy
easy

b)

i)

 

 

ii)

 For any 1, or clear example, of:

  • smooth surface of material
  • streamlined
  • tight fitting, e.g., lycra cycling shorts
  • made from a tightly woven fabric
  • has features that attach it to the person/bike

Decreases wind resistance/reduces friction/stops the wind slowing them down (as much).

difficult

 

 

moderate

 

Diagnostic and formative information: 

For question b) i) 45% of the trialled students named an article of clothing rather than describing a feature of the clothing.