Final answer:
The details in the paragraph are meant to help readers visualize the wooden cars crafted by the students, with emphasis on their colorful and decorated appearances. The correct answer is option: to describe students’ cars to help readers visualize them.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of the details in the paragraph is to describe students’ cars to help readers visualize them. The descriptive elements provide a vivid image of the miniature wooden cars, emphasizing their various colors, racing stripes, and lightning bolts. The paragraph is not primarily concerned with the principles of friction, which would include a more technical explanation, nor with establishing the importance of learning higher-level science or explaining the importance of the students' creations beyond their visual appeal.