An educational video that uses the Pinewood Derby to encourage your child’s interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The video focuses on how to win. When your child brings home a trophy, he/she will gain a new appreciation for science!

Trailer

This 2-hour video will show you how to...

  • Use the principles of physics to build the fastest car possible, within the rules.
  • Set the weight and center of mass of your car to maximize speed.
  • Reduce the effects of friction.
  • Align your car’s wheels to near perfection.
  • Maximize your child’s involvement in car construction without compromising quality.
  • Build a simple test track in your garage.

Videos Excerpts

Wind resistance

Experiments for home

Building the car

Building a test track

PHYSICS TOPICS COVERED

Probability and statistics

The weight of the car

Wind resistance

The center of mass

The moment of inertia

The Scientific Method

And more!


About

Physics and the Pinewood Derby is the brainchild of Dr. Scott Acton -- he wrote the script, acted as the producer, director, and main actor. The film was the direct result of his experiences teaching science to his own son through the Pinewood Derby, as well as presentations he gave to his local Cub Scout pack on what they learned. Dr. Acton is currently employed by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation, Inc. in Boulder, Colorado. He recently completed his James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) World Bike Tour, in which he rode almost 15,000 miles on his bicycle around the world, stopping to give talks about his work on the telescope.

John Swensen acted as the camera-man, co-director, and editor. He contributed several of the non-filmed components of the video and lent his opinion and hand wherever possible. John is currently employed as an assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. His research is in the area of medical robotics and tunably compliant materials as Director of the Modeling, Motion, and Medical Robotics Laboratory.

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Pinewood Physics, LLC is a limited liability corporation located in Niwot, Colorado.