Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello. We are, once again, having difficulties with our project. We have come up with a question, though: how will hybrid and electric cars impact our enviroment? Our problem now though, is that we have to write a hypothesis and procedure. Our hypothesis is, if more people use energy efficient cars-hybrid and electric cars- then less greenhouse gases will be emitted into the air, lessening the damage of the ozone layer. For the procedure, though, we are not certain what to do. We also need to identify the variables in our project. Please help us in completing this task.

We just wanted to say that we have changed our question. Instead, we are asking, are energy efficient cars-hybrid and electric cars- really more efficient? Just wanted to let anyone possibly replying know.

Hi Lina and Vanessa,

Good job adjusting your question so that you can actually test it in a short time frame! Your question is very relevant and current.

With your new question, you'll need to decide and define what you mean by "efficient." Most people would probably consider good gas mileage (lots of miles traveled per gallon of gas) to be very efficient when it comes to cars. However, some fully electric cars have a limited range before they need to be recharged. For example, if an electric car can only go 100 miles before it needs to be recharged, it would not be the best choice for a long road trip. So you need to decide what factors you want to consider when you determine the "efficiency" of a car.

To do this experiment, you can research things like mileage ratings on dealer websites or at the dealers themselves. I would caution you, though, that the "EPA estimated mileage" is inflated (looks better) compared to what most cars actually get when you drive them. If you know enough people who own hybrid and electric cars, you could test the actual mileage on a standard course. This would require more time and effort, and it depends on the resources available to you.

One option is to look on Vehix.com for the specifications of a number of cars: http://www.vehix.com/research/vehicleSp ... tions.aspx. You can compare whatever factors you think are important - mileage, range, etc. It may be that a combination of factors will determine the overall "efficiency" of the car.

I hope that helps. Keep us posted as you progress with your project!

Cheers,
Heather