Optimizing Your Speed to Win the Race!
This poster codes the physics model of a runner who is competing in a race against last year’s state running champion in North Carolina. The program is modeled for a runner of a specific mass competing in a 1600m race. This code accounts for the fact that the runner starts the race from rest, and it calculates for the small period of time it takes for the runner to accelerate from standing to their desired pace. This small portion of time that the runner is not running at her planned speed slightly alters the speed the runner needs to maintain to win the race. Finally, the program shows how changing the final speed affects the power equation of the runner trying to win the race. The user of this code is able to manipulate the final speed of the runner to see how it effects the other kinds of energy the runner will need to exert to still win the race.