How do i measure efficency when i place an electric toy car vs a solar car? how do i know which one is better?

I cant measure it in velocity or speed. SO what else measures do i have? They are both toy cars. science fair proyect by the wayHow do i measure efficency when i place an electric toy car vs a solar car? how do i know which one is better?
"Efficiency" is always a modifier and not a subject. Typically we are describing the efficiency OF an engine's conversion of energy from one form to another. We could also be measuring the efficiency OF a vehicle's ability to travel through the air or we might be measuring the efficiency OF the drive train. It does no good to compare the aerodynamic efficiency of one vehicle compared to the drive train efficiency of another.



All efficiencies compare what useful work or product is produced divided by the amount of energy or product supplied. If I put 100 units of energy into an engine and it gives me 90 units of work the efficiency is 90%. To measure the energy efficiency you need to measure the amount of energy installed and the amount of energy in the work done.



You could measure the amount of energy consumed by the the vehicle and then compare this to the speed. It is best if you use the same platform for a vehicle so that you do not have to estimate aerodynamic differences. And then you would have to subtract the vehicle drag from aerodynamics and rolling resistance. The solar vehicle may go slower but when you compare it to the energy consumed it may have a higher efficiency.



For an experiment you might have one vehicle design that you could adapt to three means to receive energy. From an artificial light source placed above and in the middle of a circular track you could calculate the the amount of energy received by solar cells. You might electrify the track and use an induction pickup to power the vehicle and last you might use on vehicle batteries. You may choose to first provide ballast to equate the different platforms and test the electric systems and then remove the ballast and use it as an experimental value. In this case you might be measuring distance over time. You would have to convert the energy in and the energy out to the same units. You have to try to keep all elements equal except the one value that is to be experimentally determined.How do i measure efficency when i place an electric toy car vs a solar car? how do i know which one is better?
Well to begin with the motor, how many much is it consuming and outputting. Velocity and time, also the distance.

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