2. What are the different types of chemical reactions? Combustion Synthesis Decomposition Single displacement Double displacement Acid-base http://misterguch.brinkster.net/6typesofchemicalrxn.html
3. What is a combustion reaction? A combustion reaction happens when a fuel and an oxidant react. This produces heat or heat and light. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-combustion-reaction.htm
4. What is the fire triangle? The fire triangle refers to oxygen, heat, and fuel. http://ehs.sc.edu/modules/fire/01_triangle.htm
5. What is activation energy? The energy needed to get a reaction started (for it to occur) http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_activation_energy
6. Why is heat/energy a necessary part of the fire triangle? Heat is important because it’s what helps set a spark for fire to begin and it also raises fuel temperature. Energy goes to fuel molecules and releases heat, light and other things. http://www.survivaltopics.com/survival/fire-tetrahedron/
7. How is the cooktop of your stove a real-life example of a fire triangle? It’s an example because for a stove to function properly and make food it needs oxygen, heat and fuel.
8. What is a combustion engine? A combustion engine can be internal or external. It expands temperature and pressure for machines to go faster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_combustion_engine
9. How does a combustion engine work? When fuel enters the combustion chamber, it gets assorted with hot compacted air that has been used in past cycles. http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Does-Internal-Combustion-Engine-Work?&id=3565567
10. How are NASCAR engines different from street car engines that allow them to operate at much higher speeds? With NASCAR cars, almost every detail of the car is handmade. The bodies are built from sheet metal, the engines are assembled from a bare block and the frame is constructed from steel tubing. With regular cars, not as big of an engine is needed so they don’t go as fast. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-racing/nascar/nascar-basics/nascar4.htm
11. How does nitrous oxide help engines perform better? Nitrous oxide increases the engines horsepower and that makes the car go even faster. It doesn’t harm the engine at all, just exceeds its purpose. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question259.htm
12. Example of how cheating in NASCAR in which something was done illegally to increase the combustion performance of the engine Michael Waltrip’s crew was using a fuel addictive which is illegal in racing. "Whatever they would have said, I would accept because it was just a terrible mistake. I don't need to cheat to win this race. I've done it before.” he says. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/16/nascar.cheating/index.html
