You probably know that emissions of gases
from automobiles are responsible for up to 80 percent of the
air pollution in large cities. Many communities have passed
laws that require automobile manufacturers to reduce
emissions to help combat air pollution. One way to reduce
emissions is to burn less gasoline per mile traveled. Some
of the more efficient vehicles available today can travel 40
to 45 miles per gallon of gasoline. Another way to reduce
emissions is to use alternative fuels. Research on
alternative fuels that produce less air pollution is already
underway. Automobile manufacturers also are researching
electric vehicles, which do not produce any emissions.
However, all-electric vehicles are not yet practical for
long-distance use. Most electric vehicles are powered by
batteries, and can only go 80 miles or so before the
batteries need to be recharged. Recharging takes up to 8
hours.
Recently, several automobile
manufacturers have introduced vehicles known as hybrid
electric vehicles (HEVs). These vehicles can travel up to 70
miles per gallon of gasoline, and they produce one-half the
emissions of a standard vehicle. What are hybrid electric
vehicles? How do they work? How do they help reduce air
pollution? In this WebQuest, you will explore the topic of
hybrid electric vehicles and find the answers to these
questions.
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Your job in this WebQuest is to discover
what hybrid electric vehicles are, and find out how these
vehicles work. You will explore the reasons that automobile
manufacturers are producing these vehicles, and how these
vehicles can help reduce air pollution. You will learn about
the types of hybrid vehicles, and how each type works. You
will also find out the advantages and disadvantages of each
type of hybrid electric vehicle. Finally, you will answer a
set of questions about hybrid electric vehicles to
demonstrate what you have learned.
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Look at the web sites given here to find
the information that will enable you to answer questions about
hybrid electric vehicles.
1 class period for Internet research and
answering the set of questions
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Read through the following set of
questions before you begin your Internet research. As you
explore each site, look for answers to the questions.
Questions about Hybrid Electric
Vehicles
- What is a hybrid electric vehicle?
- What are the advantages of HEVs as compared to
conventional vehicles?
- By what percentage can a HEV reduce emissions as
compared to a conventional vehicle?
- What are the components of a hybrid electric
vehicle?
- Name three types of energy storage systems in
HEVs.
- Name three types of power units in HEVs.
- Name two types of propulsion in HEVs.
- Describe the series configuration in HEVs. Under what
circumstances should a HEV with series configuration be
used?
- Describe the parallel configuration in HEVs. Under
what circumstances should a HEV with parallel
configuration be used?
- What type of configuration is used in the HEVs
available in the U.S. today?
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In the process of completing this
WebQuest, youve become informed about hybrid electric
vehicles. You have learned about the advantages of a hybrid
electric vehicle as compared to a conventional vehicle, and
by what amount HEVs can reduce emissions that result in air
pollution. You have learned more about how HEVs work, and
about the different types of HEVs. You have developed
research skills as you explored the web sites given and
identified the relevant information to answer the set of
questions above. Would you recommend that people purchase
hybrid electric vehicles?
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