Chemistry Team
The Goal
To utilize and measure the kinetics of the starting and stopping reactions to ensure repeatability.
What We Do
The Chemistry sub-team manages the starting and stopping mechanisms. Our team designs and tests chemical reactions with evident and measurable changes in physical properties that signal the car to start and stop. The Chemistry sub-team works closely with the controls and battery sub-teams to guarantee that the appropriate control strategy and energy supply are designed in the car. Finally, the team has a rigorous focus on kinetic data analysis and modeling of chemical reactions to ensure they are reproducible and repeatable in a competition setting.
Starting Mechanism: Luminol
Luminol is a chemiluminescence reaction that produces light when reacted with hydrogen peroxide as shown below:
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The Chemistry sub-team studies the relationship between amount of luminol and the lux. More luminol in the solution results in a brighter reaction to a certain ratio between the reactants.
Stopping Mechanism: Iodine Clock
Iodine clock is a color changing clock reaction that goes from a clear to a dark blue solution. The reaction is initiated by hydrogen peroxide and the amount of time to change color is determined by the amount of thiosulfate added. More thiosulfate corresponds to a longer time to color change whereas less thiosulfate corresponds to the opposite.
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