What does engineer/engineering make you think of? Post-it notes What does engineer/engineering make you think of?
Engineering is using technology to solve a problem Engineering is using technology to solve a problem. (Technology does not have to be complicated or electronic!)
What problem were these engineered to solve?
Ask Improve Imagine The Engineering Cycle Create Plan
What is the problem? Can your team make a bulb light, or a motor turn?
Tonight is the Valentine Disco. ENGINEERING CHALLENGE Tonight is the Valentine Disco. There is always rubbish to clear up afterwards but Mr Thorpe locks the cleaning cupboard after school. This means that the adults won’t be able to get hold of the cleaning equipment. There may even be confetti to throw, but it’ll take ages to clear up all the small pieces of confetti by hand. I have found some motors, wires, batteries and paper in the science cupboard, plus there will be empty bottles and paper cups left over from the party. Mr Malkin suggested using a hairdryer to blow the confetti away, but this will probably only create more mess! Can you become electrical engineers and design, build and test a cleaning device that will suck up all the mess so that the adults can go home before it gets to late?
Vacuum Cleaners
Hairdryers Case/Housing Switch Heating Element Fan Motor Wires
Some things to think about ...
You want it to suck, not blow!
?
Challenge! If your group has worked out which way to connect up the motor, can you add in a switch to turn the vacuum cleaner on and off?
Now you need a fan blade to move the air! Find a circle to draw around that fits inside your water bottle Push a pencil through the centre (into a rubber) so that it can fit on the motor axle Cut out and bend the blades Use two small piece of elastic band to fix the fan blades in place Is the fan on the right way round? Which way does the air move? Check! Challenges! What happens if you make the circle smaller? Is it better to have lots of blades, or just four? What is the best amount to bend the blades?
fan and propeller blades
Example fans Experiment with the size of the fan, the number of blades, bending the blades etc
Now TEST your vacuum cleaner Now TEST your vacuum cleaner! Hint: Hold your fan and motor in place first, in case you need to adjust it... ... Only when you are happy, fix it in place!
Create a design of blade you are happy with first – BEFORE fixing the motor
When your vacuum cleaner is working well you can fix the motor/fan in place.
Some tips, hints and troubleshooting... Using a nozzle may improve the suck of your vacuum cleaner Why do you think this is? Check that your fan spins without hitting the sides If it doesn’t work, swap the wires over and TEST it again. Why might this make a difference? If it still doesn’t work redesign your fan (change the size / number or angle of blades) and TEST it again. Have a look at other team’s designs – does it help you with yours? Ask an adult for some help with ideas Once it works fix the motor in place Super Challenges! Can you add a switch? Can you MAKE a switch? Can you make something to catch the confetti?
Tinkering Time. Can you IMPROVE your vacuum cleaner Tinkering Time! Can you IMPROVE your vacuum cleaner? - It could suck harder - It could have a light to see the dirt - An improvement of your own