Abstract
Measurements from a dinosaur trackway are used to estimate how fast the dinosaur track makers were moving. The exercise, which is appropriate for any introductory earth-science course at the secondary-school or college level, introduces students to dimensional analysis by having them construct an empirical graph of dimensionless stride length versus dimensionless velocity. The students then estimate the dimensionless stride length from the trackway data and use the dimensionless graph to determine the speeds of the dinosaurs. Experience with the exercise indicates that even students with little quantitative background are motivated by the challenge of determining whether they could outrun the dinosaurs and often begin to appreciate the power of dimensional analysis, a concept not usually presented in introductory courses.
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