Question

keeping racers cool: from nasa spacesuit research to racing suit underwear
by andrew wagner

jun 10, 2021

1 punishing speeds arent the only challenge facing drivers at the nascar all-star race; they also face extreme heat in the drivers seat. and when youre in the hot seat, nasa technology can help you keep your cool.

2 this season, several nascar racers are wearing undergarments made from a heat-stabilizing material originally designed to keep astronauts comfortable on spacewalks even when the temperature outside their spacesuit spikes to hundreds of degrees.

3 for spacewalks to even be possible, spacesuits need major insulation and temperature controls to withstand temperature swings 250 degrees above and 250 degrees below zero fahrenheit. in the 1980s, nasas johnson space center in houston entered into a small business innovation research (sbir) contract with the triangle research and development corporation to develop a glove material that would help maintain a steady, comfortable temperature. the secret was found in phase-change materials.

4 phase-change materials absorb and release heat

select the correct answer.

which detail best supports the idea that walero may develop new products to sell in other markets?

\with the designs completed, the company wanted to ensure its product would work in a real-life situation. to do that, we had to run simulations, said james.\ (paragraph 10)

\james says waleros products have been adopted by drivers in all levels of racing since they hit the market in 2015, including indycar and the european rally championship.\ (paragraph 12)

\ive sold it to hikers who wanted to keep warm on a walk, james said. i also sold walero once to someone who was going through menopause to stabilize her temperature.\ (paragraph 14)

\fiona james thought there might be some way to make the experience a bit more bearable. she believed the key might be in the specialized clothing worn by all race drivers: full-body undergarments.\ (paragraph 8)

Explanation:

Analyze the target claim

The target claim is that Walero may develop new products to sell in other markets.

Evaluate the options against the claim

• Option 1 discusses running simulations for the initial design, which does not relate to new products or other markets.
• Option 2 discusses current adoption in existing racing markets (IndyCar, European Rally Championship).
• Option 3 mentions selling to hikers and someone going through menopause. These represent non-racing, alternative consumer markets, indicating potential expansion and development of products for other markets.
• Option 4 discusses the initial inspiration for the specialized racing undergarments.

Select the best supporting detail

Option 3 directly demonstrates sales to alternative consumer segments (hikers, menopause temperature stabilization), supporting the idea of developing products for other markets.

Answer:

• "With the designs completed, the company wanted to ensure its product would work in a real-life situation. 'To do that, we had to run simulations,' said James." (paragraph 10)
• "James says Walero's products have been adopted by drivers in all levels of racing since they hit the market in 2015, including IndyCar and the European Rally Championship." (paragraph 12)</mcq-correct>
• "'I've sold it to hikers who wanted to keep warm on a walk,' James said. 'I also sold Walero once to someone who was going through menopause to stabilize her temperature.'" (paragraph 14) (Correct answer)

<mcq-option>"Fiona James thought there might be some way to make the experience a bit more bearable. She believed the key might be in the specialized clothing worn by all race drivers: full-body undergarments." (paragraph 8)