Transportation
Join us on Tuesday, June 8th, to explore how math modeling
is used in planes, cars, and trains! We'll be learning about how math can be used to improve all
aspects of vehicles, and try to make connections based on what we learn. Tuesday's transportation
problem will be available after our workshop. Excited to see you there!
View the Video Here
View the Problem Here
What is Transportation?
Many examples of transportation are probably already familiar to you, from the cars and trucks you see on the street, to the planes and helicopters in the air. Moving people, and oftentimes goods from place A to place B is one of the most important parts of our daily lives and to ensure that the world can run. But it’s much more than a matter of building cars, trains, roads, and planes; it also requires careful planning, which often involves math!
Why should I be excited about transportation?
Transportation is involved in many aspects of your daily life. You might take a bus to school, drive to the store, or take a plane to go on a trip. In fact, without transportation, you would be stuck in one place all the time and not able to see the world. The roads and highways that cars travel on are complex systems that have to be designed to optimize traveling time and connect many different locations and cities. Railway systems have to be built to handle many different stations and all the people that use trains daily. Even plane rides need to be planned depending on weather and the distance between one place and the next. Transportation is not limited to vehicles and machines, just walking down the street is also a method of transportation. People are always moving around, which makes transportation vital to everyday life.
How does math modeling apply to transportation?
Planners of these humongous transportation systems utilize math modeling all the time to ensure that transportation solutions can be delivered efficiently, affordably, and quickly to those who need it. One example where math is used in transportation is when trains and planes calculate the most efficient route, incorporating traffic, time, and resources, from point A to point B. Similarly, GPS systems utilize math modeling to optimize routes for day to day car rides. Furthermore, to optimize speed while maintaining safety on roads, highway officials utilize math modeling in their decision making process.
Glossary
- Altitude/Elevation: the height above the ground that any object is at.
- Angle of takeoff: how much a plane rotates upwards from the ground when it takes flight.
- Demand: how much need is there for the specific object, item, or entity. For example, in the summer there is a higher demand for watermelon than in winter.
- GPS: Global Positioning System, also known as GPS, is a system that allows people and objects to determine their location using a system of satellites.
- Optimization: the action of making the best or most effective use of a situation or resource.
- Reliability: how trustworthy something is. For example, if the train comes everyday at 7 AM and you have to reach work by 8 AM, then the train is quite reliable.
- Timetables: a schedule made for a transportation system that says when a train, plane, or other vehicle begins its trip.
Video Citations
Video Production Credits
