Class Feedback

Overview:
     Overall, I actually really enjoyed this class and had a fun time in it. Although there were some stressful moments, I was able to overcome them all. The most stressful project we had to do was the mousetrap powered vehicle. My partner and I had such a great design, but just one tiny flaw; it was too heavy. We tried absolutely everything we could to keep our design but just make it lighter, and nothing seemed to work. We ended up just having to scratch everything and come up with a standard, easy, light design which was not what we wanted.
     I would have to say that my favorite project was the Popsicle stick bridge. I really liked that project because it was very unique and unlike anything I have ever done before. My partner and I got to be really creative with the bridge design and it looked so cool and perfect when we finished it. Not only was the building part fun, but breaking it and seeing how much weight it could hold was also very amusing. I was the one who pumped the machine and with every pump, I started to get more and more anxious for the bridge to break. Our bridge made a huge explosion and Popsicle sticks flew everywhere, which was very entertaining.
     One more aspect that I couldn't stand were the super slow computers in the lab that only half of them  worked. Whenever I needed a computer, I either had to race to one to get it before other people or sit two at a computer and the person not on the computer could never get any work done. This class depended heavily on the computers because we had to do these blog posts for our final exam and we couldn't do them unless we had a computer.

What I Learned:
     This class was based heavily on the design process and problem solving, and I became very familiar with the both of these. After using them in every project, I am confident to use them on my own in new situations and I will be prepared if I am required to use them in the future. During this class, I also became familiar with all the tools in the labs. I mainly used the tools in the mousetrap powered vehicle and I used them a lot, so I am now very comfortable using them at anytime.

Bridge

Intro:

For this project, we had to build a bride out of popsicle sticks and see how much weigh it withstood. We got to make any type of bridge we wanted, but we has some restrictions such as only being able to use 120 sticks, sticks could only overlap 2 1/4 inches, and the bridge had to be between sixteen and twenty inches.

Technical Concepts: 

During this project, we had to know a lot about physics such as dealing with different types of forces. These concepts helped us come up with a bridge design that was strong and could hold a lot of weight.

Learning Goals:

I wanted to learn more about different types of bridges and how they work. Also, I wanted to learn more about different types of forces and how they apply to bridges.

Design Brief: 

For our bridge, we ended up using 100 Popsicle sticks exactly. The form of the bridge was straight on the bottom and arched on the top. To connect these two frames, we made a V pattern with the sticks and had one stick between each V. We also used and X pattern for the bottom of the bridge to connect both side frames. My partner and I decided to add the bottom X pattern to the top of the bottom of the bridge so we would be testing the strength of the bridge and not how well the glue holds. For the top of the bridge, we just laid a few sticks across for a little bit of stability.

Positive Feedback: 

Our bridge was very successful. It withstood 100kg and held the most weight in the class. This success was made possible by the X's on the bottom of the bridge which provided tremendous support.

Redesign:

If I was to build our bridge again, I wouldn't change anything about it. It was a very good design and we executed it perfectly so I don't see how it could be improved any more. What I would change though is the testing device. It didn't really test how much weight the bridge could hold and mainly just tested how well the glue held.

Technological Resources:

Resources provided for this project were materials, people, and time. We were given a limited about of materials we could use, had a partner to help us, and a deadline to meet.

Biggest Challenge:

The biggest challenge we encountered was trying to attach the bottom of our bridge to the side frames. The Popsicle sticks would keep falling off because the side frames would get bumped. This part of the bridge was very stressful and we had to be very careful while doing it as to not bump anything.

What I Learned:

In this project, I learned a lot about bridges and forces. I can now recognize different types of bridges and how they work. Also, I have extended my knowledge on forces.

                       

                       

Alka-Seltzer Rocket

Group of Jordan Page and Maddy Ross

Intro:

For this project, we had to design a rocket and launch it by mixing water and an alka-seltzer tablet. We got to use any materials we wanted but had to build everything around a film canister

Technical Concepts: 

This project was based mainly on Newtons Three Laws of Physics: objects keep on doing what they are doing until acted upon by an unequal force, f=ma, and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. These concepts will help understand how the rocket launches

Learning Goals:

I wanted to figure out how Newton's Laws applied to the rocket and in everyday life. Also, I wanted to really understand the three laws and become familiar with them.

Design Brief Details:

For our rocket, we constructed the shape and everything around the film canister using strong construction paper. The length of it was equal to that of the canister, plus a nose cone. We originally had three fins but had to reconstruct the rocket and a fin broke in the process, so we ended up only having two fins. The fins were long and skinny and had a small triangle on the top because we saw that an actual rocket had fins like that.

Positive Feedback: 

Our rocket was surprisingly very successful. It went 24 feet which was very high for the class. This was made possible because of the right mixture of alka seltzer to water, half tablet to a quarter water, and our short, light design.

Redesign:

If I was to rebuild our rocket, I would probably keep the third fin on and not use a ton of tape, just enough to make it sturdy. Attaching a third fin would make the rocket fly straight and less tape would create a lighter rocket.

Technological Resources:

For this project, resources that we used were materials, people, time, and information. These resources made our project successful and allowed us to do the project.

Biggest Challenge: 

Our biggest challenge was trying to put the cap on the film canister. Since we were having a hard time with this, we made the rocket much shorter and also made the film canister able to be completely taken out of the paper.

What I Learned: In this project, I learned a lot about Newton's Laws and how they apply to rockets and other objects. These physics concepts will help me understand other situations in the future.