Motion And Design Lesson 1 Pre-Unit Assessment: Designing Vehicles: Getting Started

Materials  Timer  Bucket of Building Pieces one per pair and a class bucket (should be identical to the pieces shown on the building pieces for each group sheet)  Building Pieces for Each Group copy per student  Tips on Using the Building Pieces copy per student  Tape Measure per group

Overview  Practice being engineers  Design vehicles  Problem solving

Engineers  Engineers apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to the solution of practical problems.  Scientist’s goal is to acquire a knowledge of the physical and material world.  Engineer’s goal is to apply knowledge to the design and creation of a product that meets a need.  The product might be an object, such as a bridge or an automobile, a system, such as an improved way to recycle paper, or an environment.  Scientists and engineers keep journals detailing their investigations and observations.

Aristotle  Thought objects moved only if pushed by force and it stops when the force is removed.  Could not explain why a ball continues to move through the air after it leaves the thrower’s hand.

Galileo  Recognized that no force is needed to keep an object moving (only to start it, stop it, or change its direction or speed)

Isaac Newton  Expanded on Galileo’s work  Proposed three laws of motion 1. An object at rest remains at rest and an object in motion remains in motion in a straight line, unless acted on by a force. 2. When a force acts on an object, the object will start to move, speed up, slow down, or change direction in direct proportion to the magnitude of the force and inversely proportional to the mass of the object. The greater the force, the greater the change of motion; the greater the mass of the object, the smaller the change of motion. 3. If an object exerts a force on a second object, the second object exerts an equal and opposite force on the first object.

Background  Dynamics = branch of physics that focuses on forces and their relation to motion and the absence of motion.  Technology = development and use of products, systems, or environments that solve problems and extend human capabilities.  Devices make life easier.  Examples of technology: computer, pulley, wheel, pencil

Design Requirements  Why people need a product and how they will use it help engineers determine the product’s design requirements.  Engineers often have time requirements, just as you will to do each challenge.  For example – an automobile Maximum speed of 80 miles per hour Cost less than $20,000

 Means the original or model on which something is patterned to test whether the final product is likely to meet the design requirements.  Engineers create requirements appropriate for the small size of the model.  If the model does not satisfy these requirements, engineers search for improvements and modify the model.  If a particular design continues to fail, the engineers go back to the drawing board and start over.  Examples Aeronautical engineers build models of aircraft and test the airflow around them in wind tunnels. Naval architects perform similar tests with models of boats in water tanks. Prototype

Technological Design - - Identify Problem - - Create Solution - - Evaluate Solution by Testing - - Refine Design to Improve

What we Know about the Motion and Design of Vehicles What we Want to find out about Motion and Design

- Pass out Bucket with Building Pieces and Building Pieces Sheet for Each Group - Make sure bucket has pieces specified on this sheet.

Pass out Tips on Using the Building Pieces

Practice  Get building pieces and timer  Practice putting pieces together like on Tips sheet  Take 10 minutes to explore the building pieces and timer.  What did you discover during this time?

Discussion  What causes vehicles to move?  How do engineers design vehicles?

Build a Vehicle  20 minutes  Must move at least 100 cm or 39 in  Before you begin, how will you test whether your vehicle meets the requirement?  Pass out tape measures  Do NOT disassemble your vehicle after each lesson.  Do NOT make changes to your vehicles between lessons. Will have plenty of opportunities to alter the design.

Discussion  How did you get your vehicle to move?  What was one problem your group encountered while building the vehicle?  How did you solve the problem?

Extensions  Create a list of materials from home that you could use to build a vehicle. Spools of thread and lids from baby food jars work well for wheels. Cardboard or cereal boxes can be used for a vehicle body. Build your own vehicle.  Make a list of as many vehicles as you can think of.  Connect two or three of the building pieces to make a simple construction. Draw this construction. Exchange drawings with a partner and try to build your partner’s construction from the drawing.  Research and write about the invention of the wheel in ancient civilizations.

The End!!!