Cheating only if you get caught!

You're missing the point.

You're thinking of buoyancy...

"Therefore, if you were to fill a 1-liter soda bottle full of helium, the bottle would weigh about 1 gram less than the same bottle filled with air. That doesn't sound like much -- the bottle itself weighs more than a gram, so it won't float. However, in large volumes, the 1-gram-per-liter difference between air and helium can really add up. This explains why blimps and balloons are generally quite large -- they have to displace a lot of air to float." http://science.howstuffworks.com/helium2.htm



While yes, the helium is less than air... a pipe filled with nothing is LESS than a pipe filled with helium, which in turn is LESS than the pipe filled with air.

The goal here isn't to lift the car, its to make it lighter. Therefore, reducing the mass of anything in it would reduce the total weight. So, in turn, pulling a vacuum inside the cage, removing ANY gas, will make it lighter than if it had ANY gas in it. Vacuum > lighter (provided same volume, pressure, ect. You remember physics right? Everything is a block on a ramp.... )

Also, remember that Weight = MG as weight is a force. So, the mass times the acceleration of gravity. What weights 100 pounds on Earth would weigh less on the moon, as it has less gravitational pull. So calling it weight, in this case, as that's what we're concerned with, is perfectly ok.

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Another way to think about it. Air is a fluid.

Fill a glass with water. Weigh it.

Dump it.

Fill the same glass with gasoline. Weigh it.

Dump out the gas. Weigh it.



Get it yet?

Gas will float on water, much like helium floats in air. But when the empty glass is weighed, its less than the glass with gasoline... even though that glass is still lighter than the glass filled with water.

EDIT twice, double typo fail

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/17/2012 04:57PM by Dazed_Driver.

next mod: fill the rear hatch area with a large vacuum box!

Either way, the chuckle that idea was supposed to get has been completely lost...

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Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

Timm, you'll have to do a bit of thinking before you try to cheat, and I'm not
going to give you any hints...

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SteveL
This is the point in the killing spree when you really should turn the gun on yourself

Actually, I think I would need to have a finished car before I could cheat.

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Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

No Timm, a finished car is more difficult to cheat with...

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SteveL
This is the point in the killing spree when you really should turn the gun on yourself

Anti down force. Make the entire exterior of the car have a large helium balloon so that the car seems to weigh less.

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Grant Hughes

You don't care about weight in the car (except when talking traction). It's mass you really want to reduce. Yes, vaccuum is better than helium or anything else. Even thought helium will make the car weigh less, it still has mass you have to accelerate and decelerate.

It was a goofy response to a goofy idea.

Might as well seal the whole interior of the car and suck all the air out. Driver and co-driver can hold their breath. It'll motivate you to go faster to get to the end of the stage too.

Tim.

Quote
SteveL
No Timm, a finished car is more difficult to cheat with...

Well, in that case, I have no idea what you're talking about, and frankly my dear, I don't give a damn

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