The Art of Approximation

Summary

This video leads students through an approximation technique to compute the fuel efficiency of a car moving at highway speeds. This is accomplished by using dimensional analysis and a simple experiment to identify the exponents in a formula for the drag force on a car.

Learning Objectives

After watching this video students will be able to:

• Model drag to predict terminal velocities.
• Determine the fuel efficiency of a car.

Funding provided by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

Developed by the Teaching and Learning Laboratory (TLL) at MIT for SUTD

MIT © 2012