Bionic Arm Project

*You and two other students will be working together to make a bionic arm. This machine must lift a quarter from the floor to the height of your table. It must work in the same way your bones and muscles do. You may use any object(s) found around your home. Buying materials is not allowed!!

*As you work with your group you will be working through the steps of the Scientific Method and will be required to create a lab report which will accompany your bionic arm. As a reminder the steps of the Scientific Method include: purpose, research, hypothesis, experiment, analysis, and conclusion. We will talk more about this at a later date.

Machine Requirements: *Your machine must have at least 3 parts: 1. One part must act like a muscle 2. One part must act like a bone 3. One part must act like a joint *You can use human power to get the “muscle” to move. *Your machine only has to lift the quarter from the floor to the height of your table—it does not have to drop the quarter onto the desk.

Research: We have investigated how a muscle works to move the bone in your body. Use the questions below to help further your research. My muscles are attached to my bones with _________. There is a _______ at my elbow. When I lift my forearms, the muscle in my bicep _______. This action pulls my forearm bone up.

Create a list of items that could contract (squeeze together) like a muscle.

Create a list of objects that would act like bones.

Create a list of objects that would act like a joint.

How will your quarter stay on the machine? Write down all of your ideas.