The speeds, the maneuvers, and the overtaking – watching a motor race is exciting. Viewing it from a math standpoint can be just as exhilarating. Yes, calculus: the field of study that deals with motion and change.

The math of motion, that allows you to treat a moving object as a point tracing a path through space and by freezing the action, calculate the speed and acceleration at a specific instant.

To the many, the winner of the race is the one with the least time over the distance. As a student of calculus, you know better. You have the advantage of knowing concepts such as functions, approximation, rate of change, and integration.

In fact, the very same concepts when delved deeper can help you figure much more: the wind velocities at specific intervals in an approaching tornado; or functions to use to model the vibrations of drumbeats and cymbals; or calculation of force exerted by water in a dam; or role of differential equations in a baseball game.