Machines that change climate: Porsche 911 Turbo vs. Toyota Prius
This activity has benefited from input from a review and suggestion process as a part of an activity development workshop.
This activity has benefited from input from faculty educators beyond the author through a review and suggestion process as a part of an activity development workshop. Workshop participants were provided with a set of criteria against which they evaluated each others' activities. To learn more about this review process, see http://serc.carleton.edu/quantskills/review_processes.html#2005.
This page first made public: Oct 23, 2009
- To have students do back-of-the-envelope calculations.
- To have students calculate exponential growth.
- To allow students to explore the environmental and economic implications associated with transportation choices.
- To help students gain a sense of the magnitude of the enormous mass of carbon dioxide emitted by automobiles.
Context for Use
Description and Teaching Materials
Teaching Notes and Tips
- Teaching suggestions
- Additional directions for discussion
- Related problems and resources
References and Resources
Fuel Economy.gov - mpg ratings, emissions information, scorecards and calculators
Web site for unit conversions:
Glover, Thomas J., Pocket Ref, Sequoia Publishing, 2002.
Harte, Consider a Spherical Cow, University Science Books.