Today in Discovering Mathematics, we considered the mathematics behind motorcycles and racing. Motorcycles and motorcycle racing, is not something which I have ever had a particular interest in. However, it was interesting to see the mathematics behind them and understand how different mathematic concepts affect the way they drive, the speed which they drive at, and their turns in and on the road, which also influences the likes of cars and bicycles. Motorcyclists, as well as cyclists and drivers, are constantly making mathematical decisions in their head, and I have decided to consider this further.

First of all, we started looking at roads, and the different paths that you can take and how some paths taken on the same road at the same speed, can make you finish quicker than others. For example, the drawing attached represents a windy road and three different paths which you can take.

This allowed us to look at different routes and see what difference these made on distance, time and speed. For example, if you are taking the middle route you are cutting the corners and have more chance of finishing first.

Furthermore, we then went on to look at how the equations for speed, distance and time effect motorcyclists. These calculations can be worked out by;

–          Distance = Speed X Time

–          Time = Distance/Speed

–          Speed = Distance/Time (BBC Bitesize, 2017).

This can be shown easily by the following triangles;

(Image taken from http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/maths_i/numbers/dst/revision/1/)

This is used particularly in racing, where motorcyclists can work out which route is best to take. For example, whether it is better to take a longer route to improve their current speed, or a shorter route, to improve their overall time. This also links to the racing line which is the line which most new racers decide to take to go around corners, because it allows them to keep up their speed whilst going around the corner straight. This video which I have attached explains the basics of the different racing lines which are used by competitors during races;

Furthermore, motorcyclists and normal cyclists, are constantly using mathematics and working out solutions in their heads to come over obstacles such as the weather, surfaces and other traffic or road users. For example, if there are pot holes on the road, the cyclist must work out how they are going to overcome this. At first this may not seem like maths, but because they are constantly making decisions, and working out solutions to problems, they are constantly problem solving which is a crucial skill involved with mathematics.

References

Bbc.co.uk. (2017). BBC – Standard Grade Bitesize Maths I – Distance, speed and time : Revision. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/standard/maths_i/numbers/dst/revision/1/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2017].