Calculation
Methodology & Sources
How GoSpeedRaceway handles units, formulas, empirical models, worked examples, sources and calculation review.
Units before arithmetic
Calculations use meters, kilograms, kilowatts, meters per second and newton-meters internally. Imperial inputs are converted at the boundary. Horsepower means mechanical horsepower rather than metric horsepower.
Values are rounded for display, while intermediate calculations retain floating-point precision. Input ranges define supported calculation domains and are not hardware operating ratings.
Length
in ↔ m
1 in = 0.0254 mMass
lb ↔ kg
1 lb = 0.45359237 kgSpeed
MPH ↔ m/s
1 MPH = 0.44704 m/sPower
hp ↔ W
1 hp = 745.6998716 WTorque
N·m
Newton-metersPrecision
Rounded for display
Full floating-point arithmetic
Three different kinds of result
Geometric and kinematic relationships: tooth ratios, wheel speed, circumference, pitch diameter and entered-acceleration calculations.
Physical approximations: two-sprocket chain length and ideal moist-air density with inverse standard-atmosphere altitude.
Scenario and empirical worksheets: drag-racing coefficients, an entered eighth-mile factor, a selected drivetrain loss and a margin applied to measured ETs.
Every tool identifies assumptions in its own page. No empirical model is represented as a calibrated vehicle prediction.
Independently check a worked example
Use exact relationships where possible: a 12/60 pair gives 5:1; 3,600 rpm therefore gives 720 wheel rpm. Equal 20-tooth sprockets with 0.5-inch pitch at 10-inch centers give 60 chain pitches. In the ET model, 3,200 lb divided by 400 hp is 8, whose cube root is exactly 2.
These algebraic checks verify implementation behavior. They do not establish real-world accuracy for empirical coefficients. Automated test execution and its limits are recorded in the project’s QA report.
L ≈ 2C/p + (N₁ + N₂)/2 + (N₂ − N₁)²/(4π²C/p)Sources and derivations
The tools use dimensional derivations, published technical references and explicit model assumptions. Key sources include:
Renold — Transmission chain installation & designer guide
Two-sprocket chain approximation and even-pitch selection. Sprocket geometry is independently derived from the regular polygon chord.
OpenStax — University Physics: rotation with constant angular acceleration
Angular speed and tangential speed. Gear reductions follow tooth engagement and conservation of rotation count.
NASA Glenn — What is power?
Power and rate of work; mechanical horsepower conversion follows 550 ft·lbf/s.
Jeff Lucius / Stealth 316 — Quarter-mile formulas and original regression analysis
Hale coefficient model: ET constant 5.825 and speed constant 234. Lucius documents the formulas and compares them with road-test data. These are empirical relationships, not physical laws or calibrated vehicle predictions.
NIST — Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (SP 811)
Unit definitions and conversion factors. US short tons and metric tonnes are labeled separately; horsepower is mechanical horsepower.
NOAA / National Weather Service — Density altitude equations
Vapor pressure and virtual-temperature method. We calculate ideal moist-air density and invert standard tropospheric density; small rounding differences from the NWS implementation are expected.
OpenStax — Representing acceleration with equations and graphs
Constant-acceleration kinematics. Our 0–60 tool uses an entered average acceleration; it does not predict acceleration from horsepower.
Updates and review
Initial method documentation is dated October 18, 2026. No professional review or manufacturer validation is claimed. Corrections should identify the method, inputs, units and supporting evidence.
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