Photo

Austin seventh graders got a lesson in force recently when they built these 'CO2 dragsters' and then raced them on a specially-designed track. Using money donated by Lou Ann Long of Perry County, the school purchased the track and the CO2 cartridges that power the cars. Students designed them from scratch and were challenged to make their cars faster by making them aerodynamic. They also had to take friction into account when building and installing the wheels. Something they learned along the way is that some cars caught wind because of their designs, lifting them off the track and costing them precious time. Howard Young won the competition, but he was not available for the photo. Other car designers were (front, from left), Cassie Fowler, Damian Lucus (second place) and Liz Cain. Students in the back, from left, are Zane Dynda Cheyenne Kio, Kal Logue and Ben Clark.