Study on the Characteristics of Air Spring

Due to of nonlinear performance and variable rigidity characteristic vehicle equipped with air suspension has more progress in the driving smoothness and handling stability. In the analysis based on the characteristics of air spring and the principle of gas flow, the paper aims at obtaining the relation curve between stiffness of air spring and on/off time, therefore, the calculation of a example has been done, which provides the valuable basis for the bench tests of air spring and vehicle control test.

Teacher to Teacher: Truss(t)ing Triangles

Often middle school students see no connection between geometry and real life. The following activity was designed to help make this connection for seventh-grade students participating in a Saturday academy. The activity centers on an elementary investigation of the rigidity characteristic of triangles, a concept seldom mentioned in K-8 mathematic textbooks but essential to the construction of structures that have to absorb tremendous forces and not collapse. Although this activity was completed outside the traditional mathematics class, it can be adapted to a school schedule and completed over two or more class periods.