astronomy

University of Kentucky Solar Car Team

University of Kentucky Solar Car Team is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand University of Kentucky Solar Car Team rather than just read about it. In short: The University of Kentucky Solar Car Team is an independent, student-led project that operates as part of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. The team's primary goal is to compete in the American Solar Challenge (held every two years) and the Formula Sun Grand Prix (held every year) over the summer, but they also perform outreach events in which they display and discuss their car with nonmembers.

Key takeaways

University of Kentucky Solar Car Team belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect University of Kentucky Solar Car Team to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of University of Kentucky Solar Car Team from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The University of Kentucky Solar Car Team is an independent, student-led project that operates as part of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. The team's primary goal is to compete in the American Solar Challenge (held every two years) and the Formula Sun Grand Prix (held every year) over the summer, but they also perform outreach events in which they display and discuss their car with nonmembers.

Mission The team's mission is to design, build, and race solar-powered cars while developing team members through practical experience with much-needed hands-on experience outside their demanding course load, all while contributing to STEM outreach in the Bluegrass region. Over the past 20 years, there have been 6 solar cars built, each following naming convention of Gato del Sol followed by a Roman numeral. Gato del Sol VI is the current solar car in use, first formed in 2017.

Membership Membership is open to all University of Kentucky students (Undergraduate and Graduate), professors, and members of the community.

Vision The Solar Car Team strives to:

Continuously improve the safety, reliability, efficiency, and practicality of its vehicle. Develop the skills of teamwork, innovation, resourcefulness, communication, and leadership in its team members. Spread alternative energy awareness throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Accomplishments In 2008, the Solar Car Team completed its first North American Solar Challenge, finishing 11th of 15 teams in the 2400 mile race from Plano, TX, USA to Calgary, AB, Canada. In 2009, the team placed 2nd (out of 11 teams) in the Formula Sun Grand Prix at the Texas Motorsport Ranch in Cresson, TX. In 2010, the team placed 9th in the American Solar Challenge, from Broken Arrow, OK to Naperville, IL. The team celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2019 and secured the track record lap time at Circuit of the Americas for solar cars at 3:48.975. In 2021, the team scored its best results to date: first place in FSGP 2021 and second place and most improved in ASC 2021.

History The team began in 1999 when University of Kentucky sophomore, Bianca McCartt, approached then Assistant Professor Lyndon Scott Stephens to serve as founding advisor. Together, McCartt and Stephens envisioned a student led organization that focused on solar-based renewable energy. The first UK solar car was originally named Firefly and was a heavy, lead acid battery leviathan that competed as a demonstration vehicle in the organizations first event. Shortly thereafter, then student, and now Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Christine Trinkle proposed the perennial name for the car, Gato Del Sol ("Cat of the Sun"), and the solar car team had a name befitting the University of Kentucky mascot "the Wildcats". With generous support from benefactors including UK Alums Ralph G. Anderson and Billy Harper, and many businesses including Hyro Aluminum, Inc., Toyota, Sunpower, and Stone Farm (owner of 1982 Kentucky Derby Winner Gato Del Sol), 6 generations of solar cars (Gato I-VI) have resulted with success along the way. The team was the winner of the Sportsmanship Award in the 2003 North American Solar Challenge, finished 2nd at the 2009 Formula Sun Grand Prix and finished 3rd at the 2019 Formula Sun Grand Prix. It has participated in more than 10 race events and hundreds of special events including the annual Kentucky State Fair and regional parades. As of 2020, it is estimated that more than 1500 students from majors across the university have participated in the Solar Car team since its founding 21 years ago. More importantly, through its outreach and education efforts the team has exposed renewable solar energy technology to countless thousands.

Cars FSGP lap times are recorded in the format mm:ss.s, while ASC stage times are recorded as hh:mm:ss.

Press KETV Omaha USA Today, Sunny days ahead for solar car race, July 16, 2008 Kentucky Living Magazine, Racing with the Sun, December 2008 The Morehead News, Guardian hosts UK Solar Team, November 11, 2008 Lexington Herald-Leader, UK Solar Car Builders Celebrate, July 28, 2008 KMTV Omaha, Drivers Race Cross Country Without Gas, July 16, 2008 University of Kentucky News, Solar Car Crosses Calgary Finish Line, July 23, 2008

References

External links Main Site, UK Solar Car Team Blog, UK Solar Car Team UK Solar Car Team Videos UK Solar Car Team Pictures North American Solar Challenge UK Solar Car Instagram UK Solar Car Twitter UK Solar Car Facebook

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with University of Kentucky Solar Car Team

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what University of Kentucky Solar Car Team claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to University of Kentucky Solar Car Team before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about University of Kentucky Solar Car Team ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of University of Kentucky Solar Car Team

In research: University of Kentucky Solar Car Team appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses University of Kentucky Solar Car Team in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: University of Kentucky Solar Car Team is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Solar car racing, University of Kentucky, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for University of Kentucky Solar Car Team outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study University of Kentucky Solar Car Team in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what University of Kentucky Solar Car Team means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain University of Kentucky Solar Car Team out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is University of Kentucky Solar Car Team in simple terms?

Why does University of Kentucky Solar Car Team matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study University of Kentucky Solar Car Team?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on University of Kentucky Solar Car Team.